Forgotten Future
by Ray Lou
Summary: After three centuries of confusion, Jack's had it. Now that he knows his past and his purpose, it's out of his favor to submerge himself in confusion again. So when he learns of the crush Jamie has developed through their years of friendship, he wants nothing to do with it. (cover art by rollingstarr on tumblr)
1. Chapter 1

Forgotten Future

* * *

Before he left, Jamie's father would tell bedtime stories of kings and queens, princes and princesses who lived in faraway lands. The plot of each story centred on an obstacle the main character had to overcome. Many times a prince had to battle fantastic creatures to prove himself worthy for a princess's heart. Other times a princess would take to the roads, a magic staff strapped to her waist, to prove herself as valiant as any knight.

Jamie loved these stories. They never got old, even with the similar storylines, but one story stuck to his heart most of all. It was one that was only different in a very slight way. A prince had to travel across vast lands to rescue his true love: another prince.

His father didn't treat this story any different. He gave it the attention and detail he gave to all his other stories. Jamie remembered listening aptly, wondering how it could be possible for a boy to fall in love with another boy.

What was the purpose for that story?

It was years after his parents' divorce that he finally understood.

#

_Six years after the defeat of Pitch_

"Hey Jamie! You might want to up your heater. The forecast for tonight is chilly with a one hundred percent chance of snow." Jack breezed into Jamie's room on a draft that sent Jamie burrowing deeper into the den of blankets in the corner of his room. "_Sweet!_ How many blankets are in that thing?" Jack leapt to the bundle that was nearly as large as Jamie's writing desk.

"A lot?" Jamie tried to shove the book he'd been reading into a fold of one of the blankets.

"Can I join?" Jack grabbed one of the top blankets and started to pull it off.

"No!" Jamie seized the blanket and tugged back, startling Jack into dropping his side of it. "I'm freezing, thanks to your icy ass."

Jack tossed his staff onto Jamie's bare bed. He crossed his arms and grinned at Jaime, weight on one hip. "Maybe I'm freezing too."

"That's your own fault."

"Come on, _James_."

Jamie scrunched up his nose. "Don't call me that."

"Then let me bundle up with you. I'm not gonna freeze it all over. It just won't be as warm as it should." Ignoring Jamie's continued objections, Jack slid between the bundle and the wall, sidling to Jamie.

Jamie tried to adjust the blankets for Jack so that he wouldn't feel the added weight of the book.

"I can do it myself you know." Jack chuckled but let Jamie keep tugging the blankets over them. "What's the rush?"

"Freezing," Jamie gritted.

The book was now caught in the fold above Jack's lap. If Jamie let it go, Jack would feel the hard cover. He kept the blanket levitated above Jack's lap, mind racing to find the least suspicious solution. Throw the blankets off? Tackle Jack for a tickle war like they used to do years ago? Or he could just get on with the program his father had known about (or not; who could tell their child's sexuality at the mere age of five or six?) and kiss Jack.

Jack inclined forward to catch a look at Jamie's still face. "I thought people only lagged in video games." He tried to lower the blanket. Jamie almost let him, and then remembered the importance of keeping it out of Jack's hands and flung the blankets off.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

The book was visible. A midnight blue cover peeked out from under the fold.

"Hey, what's this?" Jack took the book before Jamie could react. He read the spine. "_Among Velvet Roses._" He grinned at Jamie. "I didn't know you like poetry."

It wasn't poetry.

Jack opened the book.

"No!" Jamie slapped the book shut on Jack's fingers and yanked it away.

"Ouch! What gives, Jamie?" Jack reached for the book; Jamie held it away. "What's so bad about it? Let me see."

Jamie crawled over the messy pile of blankets. "Nothing," he said as he got to his feet to shelf the book.

"Come on Jamie. Now I'm really curious and you can't kill curiosity when it comes to me. Let me see." Jack reached for the shelved book.

Jamie slapped his hand away. "I said no!"

"What's so bad about it? I've read _Fifty Shades of Grey_for crying out loud."

"I don't care."

"We've been friends for years, ever since you were a kid. Can't you trust me? After all those bullies I've saved you from, all those snow days I've given you on demand, and those night flights?_Jamie._"

"You're going to judge me."

"No I won't! Is it erotica?" Jack tried for it again. Jamie slapped his hand again. "Jamie, I will freeze your butt to the ground. Do you know how hard you slap? It's like a freaking –_sledgehammer!_" Jack snatched the book in a swift motion. He dodged a swipe of Jamie's hand and leapt onto Jamie's bed, crouching as he flipped the book open to a centrepage.

"Jack…" Jamie collapsed to his knees, feeling the tears already coming.

Jack was smiling, not having seen Jamie's reaction. His smile slowly melted into a concentrated line as he scanned down the page. He read silently, mouthing the words, and then he stopped but skimmed through several more pages, eventually flipping through random pages and stopping. "Jamie," he said, looking up from the book. "This is gay romance."

"So? You gonna judge me?" Jamie crossed his arms and looked away, trying to keep his lips from trembling and his eyes from misting up.

"Are you gay?"

"Straightforward, as usual." Jamie's voice faltered. "Yes… I'm gay."

"Okay. Want me to throw a coming out party for you? We can have it at the lake and all the Guardians can come with the yetis and elves."

"It's not funny! And I don't want a freaking party… Jack, I don't care that I'm gay. I just care that you aren't going to treat me the same."

"Well…" Jack leapt off the bed and landed in front of Jamie with a cold gust of air. "…I'm not gonna join forces with Cupid and get a bunch of guys to fall for you, unless you want me to."

"I already like someone." Jamie hoped he wasn't making one of the biggest regrets of his life. "And I-"

"_Who?_ Is it one of your friends? Monty? One of the twins?"

"None of them. I don't even know if he's gay or bisexual or whatever."

"Maybe he's Jamie-sexual."

"Jack, please take me seriously."

"Can you at least give me hint about him? I'd like to know the guy who captured the heart of my little Jamie." Jack nudged Jamie's shoulder.

"I'm not your little anything."

Jack pouted. "But Jamie…"

"I've known him for years. That's all I'm saying."

"That shouldn't count as a hint. What color are his eyes?"

Jamie sighed, "Blue."

"Does he live in Burgess?"

Jamie nodded. "But you won't be able to find him. You're not smart enough to figure his exact location out."

"Oh yeah? Watch me! Blue eyes, Burgess, around your age –unless you like older guys."

"He's around my age."

"Blue eyes, Burgess, around sixteen – _got it!_" Jack grabbed his staff and blasted through the open window on a blast of chilly air.

"You already found him," Jamie whispered.

#

"Tooth! Tooth! You've gotta help me! Jamie has a crush on this guy who lives in Burgess." Jack dashed to the North America pillar, Tooth on his heels with a small group of mini-fairies. "He's probably lost all his teeth since he's a teenager. Where do you keep the older kids' teeth?"

"Jack, slow down a bit. It's hard to understand you when I've got fairies chirping in my ear." She glanced at a fairy who chirped an apology and shrugged. "You're looking for someone?"

"Yeah. He's in Burgess and he's around Jamie's age. A teenager, maybe sixteen years old. He has blue eyes, and that's all Jamie told me. _Oh!_ He has blue eyes too." He flew towards the bottom of the pillar. "Where's the Burgess section?"

"Jack, pillars aren't sorted by geographic location. It's sorted by age."

"So where would I find a sixteen year old kid?"

"If he lost all his baby teeth, he wouldn't be on this pillar. He'd be in the pillar for completed boxes, but -"

"Where is that?" Jack rushed from pillar to pillar. "South America, Africa, Asia…"

Tooth exchanged a weary look with her mini-fairies. "I suppose I should tell him now before he gets too caught up in his excitement." The fairies nodded.

"_Aha!_ Is this the pillar? No one's filling it with teeth!" Jack whopped. "Oh Jamie's gonna get owned!"

A mini-fairy flitted in front of Jack. She shook her head and pointed at another pillar.

"That's the pillar for South America's completed boxes," Tooth explained.

"So that's the one." Jack took off for the pillar the mini-fairy in front of him had pointed at.

"No, Jack." Tooth grabbed his hood.

"Hey, let go!" Jack tried to twist free.

"You're not going to find him there." She let Jack go.

"Then where is he?"

"I don't know if I should tell you." She looked to her fairies. They nodded. "It may be the best for Jamie," she said. She directed the fairies to join their sisters in gathering teeth. It was just her and Jack.

"You know who he likes?"

"So do you."

"I can't think of anyone sixteen years old with blue eyes. And Jamie's known him for years."

"Maybe it'll come to you if I feed you little hints," Tooth offered.

"Just tell me who he is!"

"He has pale skin."

"That's like more than half of Burgess!"

Tooth hummed and tapped her fingers against her chin. "Oh…How should I do this?"

"How about you tell me his name?"

Tooth held a finger up. "Oh! He's the same height as you. Same weight as well."

Jack cocked his head. "Buffering…"

"His eyes are the same shade of blue as yours."

"Buffering…"

"He has the same hoodie as you."

Jack scratched the back of his neck. "Buffering…"

"He never wears shoes."

"Tooth, you're just describing me."

She applauded with a cheery smile. "I knew you'd get it!"

"What?" Jack lowered himself to the base of a pillar. He tried to ride a gust of wind back up to Tooth, but only managed to climb up several feet before dropping back down. "You're telling me… I'm the boy...? I'm the one he likes? I'm the _guy_?"

Tooth knelt in front of him, placing a small hand on his shoulder. "I've known for a while, Jack."

"And you never told me?"

"I wanted you to figure it out. Honestly," she said with a blush, "I was hoping Jamie would kiss you like in those romantic movies."

"Instead he sends me on a stupid goose chase."

"Please be nice about this. Jamie's a fragile child. He needs to be loved and cared for. Don't hurt his feelings."

"I'm turning him down?"

Tooth covered her mouth. "You aren't?" Mini-fairies flitted to Jack, chirping and patting his head with teary smiles. One of them burst into tears and clutched at a nearby fairy. "Oh girls, stop it," Tooth brushed one away that held a golden ring.

"I didn't say I'm turning him down, but I didn't say I'm saying yes either!" Jack stood up, sending the fairies flitting away, some bumping into each other. Several took cover behind Tooth's back. "Leave me alone!"

"Jack…" Tooth said softly.

"What am I supposed to do? I didn't deal with this in my human life, and I've never had to for centuries! I can't deal with –with _love_ and _relationships_ and – _no_. I've had_enough_ confusion."

Jack left the Tooth Palace without a goodbye, his confusion a dense fog over his thoughts.

* * *

**A/N: **Beta'd by **Shattered Equilibrium**.

I understand that not everyone ships this. If you don't, that's cool.

Even if you don't ship it, I ask of everyone: **what should the Jack/Jamie ship name be?**

There will be at least one more chapter - or two. It depends on how the second chapter goes.

This story is dedicated to **Riqis Inna Sunja**. :) She's a total sweetheart and one of my first readers.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

It was an hour 'til noon and Jack hadn't returned from his search. Jamie knew Jack wasn't one to give up after a fruitless attempt. Like the other seasonal sprites Jamie had learned about through excessive research, Jack hated to turn up empty handed. Until he found out _he _was the blue eyed wonder, he likely wouldn't show up. With a pang of horror, Jamie realized it was possible Jack already knew and now was avoiding Jamie in disgust.

Jamie had read about it in books and seen it in low-budget gay romance films: someone says they're fine with a friend's sexuality, they discover that particular friend likes them, then they run. Drama ensues after that. There's an emotionally charged confrontation between the gay character and the friend, a fallout, everything seems to have gone to hell with no sight of redemption, and then the impossible happens: the friend has a change of mind. More than often, nearly 90% of the time, the two end up dating – or at least trying a relationship out.

Jamie blamed his lack of motivation to find more realistic films. In actuality, he was frightened of the reality he could face in the future.

A life with no happily ever after.

A life with no Jack.

"I screwed up," Jamie said as he waited by his window for Jack. His breath fogged the window up with a frosty color. It bore a resemblance to the smooth frost Jack coated Jamie's window with on some nights. He'd then draw finger pictures of snowmen and snowball fights and sleighs – everything that Jamie, both as a child and now, found immense joy in.

It wasn't snowing, not like last night. Jack had coated Burgess with a fine layer of snow with his departure. Jamie had to take to Jack's advice and turn up the heater; it got extremely chilly, and Jamie wondered if that was because of Jack's excitement for the manhunt, or because Jack was disappointed that he himself was the boy who had caught Jamie's attention.

"What am I doing?" Jamie pushed off the window sill and stood from his chair. "I'm so _lovesick_."

Jamie dressed himself in winter clothes, wrapping his neck with the green scarf the Jack had given to him for Christmas last year. "It makes your eyes glow; kind of a warm amber. It's pretty cool," Jack had said as he fitted Jamie with it for the first time. Jamie had lost himself in the beauty of Jack's smiling face – and then started choking. Jack wasn't careful with his scarf knotting and ended up choking Jamie.

With a curt goodbye, Jamie left for the lake. If Jamie ever needed Jack for an emergency, Jamie just had to break the lake's surface. Jack had deep bonds to the lake and knew immediately when there was a disturbance.

Jamie took a small rock from a pile of others Jack had stacked along the base of a neighboring tree. He knelt at the shore and hacked away at the ice until he broke through. Icy water lapped at his gloves. Jamie remembered asking Jack if he could summon him with an ice glyph. "That's like witchcraft," Jack had said, sounding mildly insulted.

He waited for a whisper of the wind followed by the boom of Jack's voice that always accompanied it. None came. He broke more ice away, not yet worried; Jack sometimes took longer than a few minutes to come, even though he supposedly was around the Burgess area. That was if he wasn't repulsed by Jamie's crush.

Jamie waited a few minutes out by playing games on his phone. He sat on the large rock Jack usually landed on when Jamie called for him. Jamie longed for a good snowball in the face, if only for that to signal Jack's arrival. Several minutes passed and Jamie started to worry.

Was Jack injured? Was he just delayed by Guardian business? Did he want nothing to do with Jamie?

Jamie shoved his phone in his pocket. His breathes escaped him in angry puffs. He grabbed a rock from the rock pile and chucked it at the lake. It struck with a sharp crack and then skidded to the other shore.

"What's taking you?" he asked the sky.

He threw another rock.

Waited.

"Jack!" he shouted, chucked another rock.

Waited.

"Where are you? You're taking so damn long!" His voice increased to an angry scream.

Jamie threw two rocks, one right after the other.

Waited.

He threw the rest of the rocks in a fury. He no longer registered the cold of the weather; he could feel the heat from the coals of his anger.

"What happened to always being there for me? _Huh?_" Jamie screamed between two throws.

He'd told Jack the deepest secret he'd been holding for nearly two years. Not blatantly, but he felt as if he had come out with his heart on his sleeve.

And without the warmth of Jack's care, it was beginning to freeze.

When Jamie went for another reload, he saw that he had thrown it all away.

He sat down heavily on the rock. The lake was covered with scratches both shallow and deep. Small chunks of ice floated in the open lake like deformed ice cubes. He could feel their chill in his heart. His eyes pricked with warm tears. He wondered why they were freezing cold, like they should be – especially when he could feel his heart shattering.

Jack was in Burgess. It shouldn't take longer than a minute to travel from the furthest corners of the town to the lake, not at Jack Frost speed.

Jamie waited ten more minutes, busying himself with his phone. When the ten minute mark passed and Jack still hadn't returned, Jamie waited another five minutes.

"Fuck you, Frost." Jamie stood up, having enough of disappointment.

For six years Jack always came with an extra strong gust of wind for speedier travel. Six years until now.

Thirty minutes of waiting and Jack still hadn't come.

"You're in Burgess!" Jamie shouted. "What are you doing? Freaking _walking_? _Ugh._" Jamie kicked through a mound of snow. "Dumbass. I basically gave you my heart." He laughed bitterly. "You abandon me, but I still love you."

He sniffled and roughly scrubbed away his tears as he started walking home.

A snowball exploded at his neck.

"Jack?" Jamie whirled around – and was disappointed to see Monty instead. "Oh, hey."

"'Oh, hey'? That's all?" Monty groaned and tilted his head back to the sky. "Why is no one excited to see me?"

"I'm sorry, Monty. I'm just in a really crabby mood. I summoned Jack but he didn't come."

"You sure he's not just late?"

"It's been over thirty minutes. He usually takes five minutes at the most. And he's in Burgess, so it should only take him a minute."

"Why'd you summon him?" Monty took his glasses off and wiped them with his plaid scarf.

Ironically, that was the scarf Jack had gotten him for Christmas many years ago. North had knitted that for Phil; several elves had shaved the fur off his neck as a cruel prank. Phil had worn the scarf for weeks.

Jamie frowned at the scarf. "I told him I'm gay."

"He ditched you for that?" Monty gaped, eyes squinting without his glasses.

"No. He was pretty excited actually. He left at night and didn't visit me at all today."

Monty breathed on his lenses. "That's weird. You think he got freaked out by your coming out and made a smooth getaway?" He polished the glasses again. "Because that doesn't sound like Jack at all. I'm sure after all those years of watching the world develop, he's seen other gay people. There's nothing scary about them – except the really flamboyant ones. They scare me. No offence."

Jamie shrugged with a sigh. "I don't know. I'm just pissed that he said he'd always come if I broke the ice. What a liar."

"He's probably on his way right now. There's a first time for everything. This might be the first time he takes an hour to get over. And how many times have you summoned him?"

"Like ten?"

"Maybe one out of ten times he's late."

"Thanks, Monty. That helps." Jamie rolled his eyes. "I'm heading home. Wanna come?"

"As long as your mom bakes cookies. My dad thinks I'm eating too much sugar so he locked up all the sweets and junk food in the bar case. And the case is see-through so I can see everything in there. It's like visual torture."

Monty ranted about how unfair it was to put the sweets such a visible place. Jamie tried to give all his attention to Monty; Jack held a sturdy place at the front of all his thoughts. He hoped he'd be able to put Monty at the floor of his focus when he got home. He didn't want to ignore Monty; not like how Jack ignored him.

#

Jack sat in North's plush chair, rolling a snowflake between his fingers.

"Jack, it is not healthy to sulk. Have a cookie!" North gestured from the railing of the globe room at a trio of elves carrying a platter of Christmas cookies. "Baked with chocolate mint. Your favorite!"

Two of the elves glared daggers at the other.

"You forgot?" North crossed his arms. "This is the third time you have forgotten. I should assign other elves to cookie duty."

"It's fine, North. I'm not hungry anyways." Jack crushed the snowflake in his fist.

"What is the matter, Jack? You look unwell."

Jack wondered if North knew. Would Jamie appreciate Jack outing him to the other Guardians? "What does love feel like?"

"Love?" North stroked his beard. "It is undefinable by definition – only by emotions. It is that warm feeling when you think of someone you deeply care for. It is like a hug. A hug that warms the heart." North smiled proudly. "Are you in love, Jack?"

"I don't know what kind of it is," Jack admitted. He sent the snowflake to the elves carrying the cookie platter away. It landed on top of the cookies, melting into their warmth. "I know it's love, I just don't know if it's friendly or romantic."

"Who are we speaking of?" North asked.

"Someone who can see me."

"Ah… Jamie Bennett." North nodded approvingly.

"Wha-" Jack sat up from his slouch. "How do you know?"

"Good guess, and you spend most of your time with him."

Jack slumped back in the throne. He stared at a passing red plane of elves. They waved down at him and sprinkled confetti. He redirected the rainbow confetti back at them with a flick of his finger. "I hate it. I hate feeling so confused. It's not even a big deal, but it feels like this giant weight on my shoulder that gets heavier the more I think about it."

"Oh, it _is_ a big deal, Jack. This is a milestone for you. Ever since your existence Jack Frost, you have never felt this love."

"Obviously. I didn't have anyone to love. Friendly or romantically. Everyone ignored me. That's not going to make me fall for anyone."

"But now you have Jamie and his friends. Don't forget the children who now believe in you."

"I'm not going to fall in love with a _kid_."

"Jamie is not a kid."

Jack tilted his head against the cushion of the backrest. "Hypothetically, if this feeling _is_ the romantic sort of love, why now? Why not years ago?"

"As you said, you do not fall in love with kids."

"It's like being in love with my brother. I've known him since he was a kid. He grew up with me like family. Taking a leap from familial love to romantic love – jeez, North. It's _weird_."

"You are open to a romantic relationship, but you do not like the feeling of it?"

Jack leapt from the throne to the railing. "Nobody's listening to me! I never said I wanted a relationship with him. I only said I don't know what kind of love I'm feeling. If it's only friendly, _great_! If it's not, _whatever_! Either way, things go back to normal. I just want to know what it is so I can stop feeling so confused!"

"Go back to normal?" North tossed his head back and roared with laughter. "Three centuries and you don't know? Nothing goes back to normal after this!" He snapped his head back down, cracking his neck loudly.

Jack cringed.

"Don't move your head fast. You will snap it," North said sorely, rubbing his neck. "Feels like icicles prick it."

"I'll try to remember that… So, what were you saying about going back to normal? It won't?"

"With love, everything changes. Love is an attraction. Around Jamie you will feel different than you feel around me, Bunny, Tooth, everyone."

Jack dropped from the railing, expression hardening as he listened.

"And if Jamie feels the same way, normal will be the furthest from you. Awkward! Everything will be awkward – especially if the feelings are known. If you mention them to Jamie, you will take awkwardness to whole new level."

Jack held his hand up. "Okay, old man. So if I like-like Jamie, and he likes-likes me back, our friendship will never be the same?"

"Jamie has developed a crush on you, has he?"

Jack felt like an open book with everyone reading the words from his pages. He leaned against his staff, watching North battle against a smile. "You said it."

"And he has confessed to you." North started to crouch, like he was going to jump.

Jack took three cautionary steps away. "Not directly."

"_Zamechatel'niy!_" North jumped a three-sixty. An elf in the distance copied him, and then another, and another. A fourth jumped and smacked a neighboring elf.

"Zame-wha?"

"Wonderful, Jack! Wonderful! I feel so happy." North placed a hand on his chest. "My heart thumps like yeti drums."

"North, what the hell –" Jack felt the lake crack. He tuned everything out and focused on the tugging at his mind. Jamie was calling him. Great. Just what he needed.

"Are you being summoned?" North whispered as if he was interrupting Jack's focus. Jack nodded. "By Jamie?"

"Most likely. Snow globe please?"

"Of course." North produced a globe from his coat. He shook it, whispered, "Burgess," and when the overview of the town formed inside, threw it at the ground. It exploded into a portal. "Please make the right choice," North said.

Jack didn't ask what that meant.

#

Jamie was hacking at the lake's shore when Jack arrived. He watched from deep in the branches of a pine tree. "Go to him," his heart said. "Stay," his mind said.

Jack watched as Jamie progressed from hacking at the ice, to waiting on Jack's rock, then hacking at the rock again, waiting more, and then finally chucking rocks at the surface. Jamie screamed.

"Go," Jack whispered. He made to jump, but that was all he did.

Jamie cursed him, shouted at the sky, voice cracking with tears.

"You abandon me, but I still love you," Jamie said – and Jack left.

#

After a marathon of Christmas movies with Monty, Jamie excused himself to the bathroom. The Jack Frost animated special had started. After distracting himself with heartwarming plots, Jamie found his emotional barrier crumbling.

He locked the door and curled up in the corner of two walls. His eyes flooded with tears.

Jamie tried his damnedest to cry silently.

* * *

**A/N: **Chapter is not beta'd.

I didn't think I could get this out so fast. I apologize if it's too slow or not as interesting. Jack and Jamie aren't getting together easily.

I personally like the shipping name Jackie, but the tag on tumblr isn't original. Maybe we could start a tag called "rotg jackie". Any of you tumblrers like it?

I'm also going to write some Pitch/Jack stuff later on. If you ship that, keep an eye on my profile.

**I will update for sure, but reviews will motivate me to get the next chapter out faster.**

How would you guys react to a jealous Jack? He could totally knock out competition with snowballs and stuff.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

Jack knew he couldn't leave Jamie alone any longer; he felt downright ashamed of hiding his face as he watched Jamie express his anger at the lake. He should have hopped down from the tree as soon as he saw Jamie, shouldn't have ever hid in the tree in the first place. He should have knocked Jamie off his feet with a snowball, all smiles because he found the wonder boy.

Without a doubt he would have made up a lie that he found a blue eyed boy somewhere around Burgess, someone who easily could have been Jamie's crush. Jamie wouldn't be able to hide his disappointment, and Jack would internally suffer while his insides cracked. Jamie's face right before a cry always broke Jack's heart within seconds. Jack hated – absolutely _hated _it when Jamie cried.

Watching Jamie cry through his bedroom window, Jack hated it. He hated himself mostly. He didn't want to move on with this. Whatever _this_ was. Jamie was folding the blankets from his blanket bundle, cheeks sleek with fresh tears. They wouldn't stop flowing.

If the tears would stop, maybe Jack wouldn't feel like he was killing Jamie. He wasn't doing anything, just sitting on the balcony across from Jamie's, but he was doing everything at the same time. Like Pitch had said years ago, he made a mess of everything. He didn't have to do anything, and he'd still be making a mess. Like the mess he was making of Jamie's heart.

Jack had seen heartbreak in all his years of existence. He had seen both sides: the breaker and the victim. But both sides were the same. The breaker was a victim and the victim was the breaker. No one wins. Both suffer.

"What's wrong with me?" Jack looked up at the moon hanging in the distance. "I know I should be in there, but I can't get myself to move." The moon stared back, silent as always. It had only spoken to Jack once. "Am I scared?" The moon was quiet.

Jack looked back in Jamie's room. The boy had folded the last of the blankets. Jamie ran a hand through his hair, frustrated and teeth biting into his lip so hard, Jack could feel his own lip tear. Jamie wiped the back of his hand over his lips, red streaking it.

"I've got to do something," Jack said, "but I have no idea… Tell me?" He looked at the moon. No answer. "You're a lot of help."

This time when he looked back at Jamie, the boy was at the window, staring right at him.

"Oh-!" Jack jumped up. "You _scared_ me!"

Jamie slid the window partially open. "What the hell's your problem? How long were sitting there?"

"Ever since you started folding your blankets, which you shouldn't do 'cause I'm still up for cuddling in there." Wrong thing to say; Jamie wrinkled his face in anger. "Why the tears? Did someone die? Oops. Sorry – that wasn't decent. Um, what's wrong?"

If MiM actually spoke to him, Jack was sure he'd get a mouthful of scolding.

"You're terrible. Freaking _terrible_." Jamie pushed the window all the way open. "Get in before I change my mind." He turned away from the window, scratching feverishly at the back of his head, a habit he had when he was stressed and upset.

Jack was on thin ice, and he almost voiced that to try and loosen the tension. He cleared the gap between the two apartment buildings. "I know you're pissed at me. I'd be pissed at myself too. I mean, I already am."

"Where were you?" Jamie stacked the folded blankets on the foot of his bed. "I broke the ice so many times, waited for almost an hour, and you didn't come. You _always_ come when I summon you."

Jack needed to set things straight, and telling only the truth was the right step – right? "Actually…I did come."

Jamie's eyes were blazing. "_What?_ You _came_?"

Forget thin ice. Jack was in deep water. "Let me explain. I'll tell you _everything_. Hear me out, please, Jamie."

"No jokes."

"No jokes." Jack crossed his heart. "Only the truth."

Jamie dumped the blankets to the ground and then climbed on his bed, lying down as if he was preparing for sleep. He looked at Jack, brown eyes like stale chocolate, ready to explode with fury if provoked. If he didn't look so prepared to rip Jack's throat out, Jack would feel like he was telling another bedtime story.

He briefly thought of the bedtime stories he used to make up on the spot for the younger Jamie. Jamie would lie on his bed, waiting for Jack to start his "epic fairytale", smiling sleepy and fighting against the heaviness of his eyelids. It was like that now, except Jamie wasn't ten, wasn't smiling, wasn't sleepy, and wasn't expecting the greatest tale of all time, but a stupid excuse for Jack's abandonment.

Jack would have to step carefully. He and Jamie were on the lake, the ice cracking and one misstep away from shattering. Just like with his sister, Jack had to avoid the cracks, grab Jamie, and get the hell off unsteady territory. He'd try, and he prayed to MiM that he wouldn't break the ice.

"You know I've been alone for three hundred years," Jack started in a soft voice.

"You _were_ alone. You're not now." Jamie's expression hadn't softened, but his voice wasn't as cross as Jack expected.

"I _was _alone for three hundred years," Jack corrected and caught a flash of a tiny curve of Jamie's mouth. "I didn't have any contact with humans. Save for the Guardians, who I chatted with very few times, I didn't talk to _anyone_. For years I stayed the same, jumping from place to place, throwing snowballs and making winter a wonderland… I was the same kid. I didn't grow. The only change I was used to was the growth of humanity. I watched children grow old. I watched families grow bigger. I watched families grow smaller. I watched graveyards fill with coffins. I watched history play out. I watched the world change."

It seems like a lot to you, but to me… It gets boring. There's a cycle in everything. History repeats itself. I learned the patterns in history, I started predicting how events would turn out – and it was the same."

Then Pitch had his rise. Things changed, for sure, and I felt lost. All these things were revealed to me. My past, MiM, my being chosen as the Guardian of fun, people actually seeing me." Jack gave Jamie a meaningful smile and gesture of his hand. "And it was so confusing. I was so confused about everything. You know that feeling you get when a teacher dumps all this new info, assigns a project, and gives a whole bunch of homework?"

Jamie nodded.

"It felt like that. I was _so overwhelmed_ and I hated how I felt. It was the confusion that got to me. Now the confusion's getting to me again – with this crush you've got on me." Jack went to close the window. "I should've closed the window earlier. I'm sorry. I forgot that you're more sensitive to the cold."

"So it's the confusion you don't like?" Jamie sat up, eyes still red from his tears, but face otherwise jubilant. "That's it? Do not know if you're straight or something? Because you're not used to relationships? Is that it?" Jamie's eyes were sparkling and his grin only radiated humor and exuberance. "Do you not know your sexuality?"

"Huh – I - the confusion's right, but sexuality? I don't think I have one…?"

"Of course you have one! Everyone has one! Three hundred years isn't going to take away! Have you ever kissed someone?"

"_N-No!_" Jack sputtered. "I've never done anything with anyone." He could feel heat rising in his cheeks, another thing to add to his confusion. It burned, like someone was holding a hairdryer to his face, but it didn't hurt. It just…burned.

"Have you ever felt attracted to someone?" Jamie propped his knee up and leaned against it, looking at Jack curiously. "Have you ever wanted to – you know." He rocked his head side to side. "Do something?"

"U-Uh, this is really awkward, Jamie."

"I've never seen you blush like that! It's cute." Jamie pinched Jack's cheek. "You don't seem disgusted." He splayed his fingers across Jack's skin, hands as hot as the blush that coated Jack's cheeks – and now his neck and ears too. Jamie cupped Jack's chin, eyes gleaming with something that Jack couldn't call excited or curious or anything. It was something that Jack had never seen up close in someone's eyes.

"I'm so confused. Your eyes are _huge_," Jack whispered.

"Do I render you speechless?" Jamie giggled. He leaned forward, pupils large and black.

"_Dude!_" Jack leaned away. "What's with you?"

"Kiss me!" Jamie reached for Jack's head. "How are you supposed to know if you like me?"

"You're acting really weird Jamie. Totally out of character…" Jack grabbed his staff from where it leaned against the window sill.

"Jack," Jamie groaned. "People don't like it when you play hard to get."

"You are _freaking me out_." Jack extended his staff, nudging the approaching Jamie away. "It's like you're someone else – _Cupid_! _I see you!_ Get your butt in here! _What'd you do?_"

The harpy had been poking her head into the room just enough to see Jamie. Jack wouldn't have noticed her if he didn't see the reflection of light off her golden helm. She sighed and stepped in, tucking her wings to her back and her chin to her chest. She smiled at Jack bashfully. "Aw shucks. You found me."

She raised her bow and pulled back a bow of reddish-pink light. It struck Jamie's back.

"I shot him when you went to close the window," she said, "and that arrow was totally meant to hit you, not him. Mah bad."

Jamie shook his heads, pink hearts sparkling in front of his eyes. "I love you so much Jack," he said. "It's unbelievable. I think we're soulmates."

"Crud. I put a little umph in there; it looks like I put too much." Cupid coiled into herself, gauging Jamie's reaction to her love arrow apprehensively. "I was on probation for like, six months, and I'm out of shape."

Jack edged around Jamie, using his staff as a mediator. Jamie tried to step around the staff; Jack kept it in line with him. Jamie grew frustrated and grabbed the staff, trying to fling it away. Jack frosted where Jamie's hands were, making the boy gasp and release the staff.

"Snap him out of it!" Jack demanded, looking over his shoulder at Cupid. "Does he even know what he's doing?"

"Probably not. He doesn't even see me."

"He doesn't believe in you!" Jack snapped.

"Are you sure?" She touched Jamie's shoulder. "He believes." She nodded.

"Then hold him back!"

"Are you crazy? Silly, Jack. Love needs to take hold." She pinched Jack's cheek. "You're so adorable. Both of you are. Oh! Why don't I just shoot you with an arrow –"

"_That's non-con-"_

"No, no. I can't do that. I would never do such a thing, and I have no ability to do that. Manny put a restraint on me, but not on you."

"_CAN YOU NOT?_" Jack hooked his staff around Jamie's waist and swung him onto the bed, using the hook to imprison him.

"Can _you not_, Jack?" Jamie tried to pry the staff off. "You're not being fair. We're meant to be together! Like hot chocolate and marshmallows!" He dropped his arms at his sides, staring up at the ceiling dreamily. "You're the marshmallows and I'm the hot chocolate. You melt into me."

Jack looked at Cupid.

"Looks like I'm _really_ out of shape." Cupid chuckled and stopped when Jack continued to stare at her, unimpressed. "He won't 'snap out of it' until it wears off."

"And how long will that be?"

"Could be an hour."

"I'm _going to freeze your feathers off._"

"It's no big deal! Just hold him down until the magic wears off. It should be no match for Jack Frost." Cupid spun Jamie's desk chair around and straddled it backwards. "Why are you so spazzy about this? It's love!" She exclaimed with arms shooting in the air. "Beautiful love!"

"No it isn't. You _drugged _him with your stupid love potion-arrow-thingy."

"You don't understand how I work. I can't force love onto people. Everything you see here is what Jamie really feels. My magic just gets rid of the emotional checks he has. Like fear of rejection, modesty – and you should be glad he's very modest. Otherwise – you'd be getting a free show." She waggled her eyebrows.

Jack paled. "Jamie thinks I'm his soulmate?"

"But we are, Jack. Two meant to be one." Jamie looked up at him with doe eyes. "Like hot chocolate and marshmallows."

"Yeah, yeah, you already said that." Jack swallowed, arms twitching. "You really like me then, don't you?"

Cupid watched with an adoring smile. "You two make a cute couple."

"We aren't a couple," Jack snapped. "And don't think I'm letting you off. After this thing passes, I'm dragging your feathery butt to North. You're going back on probation."

"Wow, _Mr. Frost_, I sure am disappointed." She tilted the chair forward. "You know, North is just the leader of the Guardians. He doesn't tell me what to do. Manny does."

"Then I'll have North talk to him."

"Why don't you talk to him?"

"He doesn't talk back." Jack didn't want to see the pity look Cupid was giving him. He looked at Jamie who was now looking at him like he had just seen the light after spending forever in darkness. "Quit looking at me like that."

"But I love you."

"Aw!" Cupid cooed. "It's so cheesy but so cute! I really think you two should be together. I don't believe a Guardian has ever had a lover post-choosing."

Jack's arms were starting to grow weak. Jamie still had that worship look in his eyes, but there was also sadness deep in there. "Are you sure he won't remember any of this?"

"I said 'probably'."

"I love you, Jack," Jamie murmured. "Kiss me?"

"I'm done." Jack gestured to the window with his head. "Open the window so I can get the hell out of here."

"And leave Jamie all alone?" Cupid opened the window with no complaints. Good; Jack was sure he'd explode into icy shards if she gave him a hard time.

"You're in charge of him. He believes in you. Tell him about your job or something."

"To connect people to their soulmates?"

Jack's throat tightened and his hands trembled. "Whatever." He threw himself out of the room.

As he flew to North's workshop, he realized he had failed.

He had broken the lake, except Jamie had been the one to fall through. Not Jack.

* * *

**A/N: **Unbeta'd - as is typical.

I'm taking a risk with Cupid. (Does she count as an OC?) She's a harpy. Google it. There are differences, but I'll describe them later.

There _is_ a meaning for the title. I'll tell you what it is at the end of the story - or maybe in a future chapter.

Thanks for the reviews. 44 reviews total? I have NEVER gotten that many for two chapters. Thank you so much, sweeties. Reviews that aren't just "update soon" or "good story" mean a lot. And I love it when you guys comment on the plot. You're actually paying attention. Excuse me while I cry. (In happiness.)

I also typed this up in two hours. So you probably found some (or a lot of) continuity and grammar mistakes. Have mercy on me. I got a chapter out, didn't I?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

Jamie felt like someone had taken a hammer to his head. He turned his head into his pillow, jarring pain between his brows making him claw his fingers into his comforter. Judging by the made bed, he had taken a nap, only he couldn't remember taking one. And when was the last time he willingly took one? He couldn't remember that either. He tried to remember post-headache, but thinking made his pain worse.

"Do you want an Aspirin?" asked a female voice, one that was too soft and soothing to belong to his mother.

Startled, Jamie sat up. Through the blur of his vision he saw a fuzzy white mass sitting at his computer desk. "Who are you?" His voice slurred, and his vision moved like a heat wave. Blurry and wavy. "Wha' are yah doin' in mah room?"

"I'm Cupid!" The white figure jumped and two fuzzy sticks – arms? – stuck out.

Jamie strained his eyes. "Are 'ou a bird?"

"I'm a _harpy_. Whatever. No one knows what I am until I tell them. It's such a pain to have to repeat myself over and over and _over_ again."

"Ya'kno' wha's wrong with me?"

"I shot you with two arrows and put too much magic in them. Do you feel tipsy?"

"I don' even know anymore…" Jamie tipped forward into darkness.

#

Jamie knew he was unconscious. He was swimming in a lake of black. He could feel the prickles of icy currents and hear the burble of the water. He tried to open his eyes, but they were already open. A frozen hand gripped his heart, and he screamed.

"_Jack!_" Jamie bolted from his bed, falling on his bedroom floor painfully. "Jack?" He looked about his room wildly. Cupid had jumped onto his desk, a glowing red arrow drawn and aimed at his chest. "Where's Jack?"

"What do you remember?" Cupid lowered her arrow.

"I was crazy lovesick!" Jamie remembered most of it. There were patches of darkness over some memories he knew were there, but couldn't recall, and he knew those patches were where the most damage had been done. "I tried to _kiss_ him! Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh. You _bitch_!" He pointed at Cupid, wishing he could shoot a beam of fire at her face. "You _drugged me_! And I – I… I _did_ things and he's _never _going to forgive me!"

"You remember it all?" Cupid seemed more fascinated with his memory than receptive to his feelings.

"Do I remem – n-no. I don't, but I know I forgot things and those things were important. Things I _said_! What did I say?"

"The most adorable things!" Cupid gushed, balling her hands in front of her face and squealing excitedly. "You said you and Jack belonged together like hot chocolate and marshmallows. Super-duper adorable."

Things couldn't get worse. Oh right, Jamie thought, things always get worse when you say that. His last memory was Jack pinning him to the bed with his hook, as if he was a disgusting creature that Jack needed to distance himself from. The way he looked down at him, the way his hands trembled, and the way his face blanched paler than his already pale skin told Jamie enough. He didn't need to remember everything else, the other embarrassing things he told Jack, because everything was already ruined.

While he sunk to his haunches bedside, Cupid gushed about the other "cute" things he had done. His rapid heartbeat was louder than her voice, a familiar pounding started in his head, his throat dry-shrunk, his eyes watered – and Cupid kept talking.

"S-shut up!" Jamie grabbed his pillow overhead and flung it at her. It struck the desk's leg. She finally shut her mouth. At last, she was listening to him. "G-get out. _Go!_ You stupid bitch! He finally came back and you _ruined_ it! You ruined _everything_! Go away! J-just go away."

"He'll come back," Cupid said, sounding hesitant, even for the confidant look in her eyes. "He won't abandon you."

"Yes he will! He already h-has! Now _go_! I don't want to see your ugly face in here anymore. Just _GO_!"

"He'll come back. I'll make sure he does. I'll talk to him."

"Tell him it's all _your fault_. T-tell him it wasn't me and you were playing a sick joke."

"I can't lie. I already told him it's all real. I'm -"

Jamie felt all the air leave his lungs. He curled in, as winded as if someone had punched him in the gut. "He's disgusted."

"He's not. He likes you too." She posted her hands on her hips and stood tall. "I'm Cupid after all!" She struck a pose that Jamie figured was supposed to make him lighten up and gain confidence in her. All she succeeded in was making him feel miserable with side-dishes of awful and helpless.

She hovered over him, bending down to head level. "I messed up, but have trust in me. I make mistakes, but I fix them – sometimes – but I'll give this extra effort and you'll be in Jack's arms soon enough. I promise I'll try my hardest to bring him back by tomorrow, so don't tuck that chin in!"

Jamie still didn't trust her. "If he really likes me, why don't you shoot him?"

"Because he'll blame his feelings on magic-love-voodoo or whatever excuse he comes up with. I don't want to mess that up for you too."

"Then get me out of this shit. And bring him back. And don't mess up!"

Jamie tried to believe in her…

"I won't!"

…but he couldn't.

#

"Jack? What is matter? Why did Jamie summon you?" North shooed away the three elves with the cookie platter. The chocolate mint was missing – again. When they didn't leave fast enough for Jack's patience, he froze them stiff. "Jack!" North turned on him. "Unfreeze them!"

"I don't feel like it!" Jack blew them out the door into a passing yeti. They spun down the hallway, leaving melted ice behind. "They'll thaw out, but I don't. Give. A. Shit."

"What happened, Jack? Sit." North pointed at the sofa in front of the window. "Things are bad from the frost coming from your feet. Are they not?"

Frost spread out to a radius of a meter from Jack's feet. The pattern was ugly with no specific pattern.

"Couldn't you tell from the way I busted through your doors?" Jack tossed his staff at the table, knocking a row of ice action figures from their stands. They shattered upon impact with the ground.

North gasped and covered his mouth. "That is two hours wasted!" North complained.

"I'm not sorry." Jack plopped on the sofa, forgetting about its false appearance. It looked plush, but it wasn't broken in yet.

"And I am not sorry for that," North said, "but straight to chase. What happened?"

"Cupid happened."

"But she is on probation."

"Not anymore. Guess who she decided to shoot first?"

"You?"

Jack dreaded to think of what would have passed if he had been shot instead of Jamie. "Thank goodness no. I'd freeze her in an ice cube and sink her to the bottom of the ocean."

"And then _you_ will be on probation."

"That's not the -" Jack dropped his face into his hands. North sat next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you're not going to listen to me, I'm out. I'll go to talk to Sandy. And he'll listen."

"But he cannot respond."

"Why do you put me through this? Why, Manny? _Why_?" Jack looked out the window, but the moon wasn't visible.

"Because you are special Guardian." North squeezed his shoulder.

"Take me seriously!" Jack said, and inhaled quickly when he was taken back to the night in Jamie's room.

Was this what Jamie felt like? Did he feel like no one was listening to him?

Not even his only hope?

His last hope?

"Then talk to me," North said.

"Cupid shot Jamie with an arrow when I wasn't looking. He went crazy – crazy with…love."

North raised his bushy eyebrows. "A love arrow?"

"Two love arrows! And he went even crazier! He said he loved me and that we were soulmates and he tried to kiss me! He got close and I was gonna lay one on me! And then he started talking about hot chocolate and marshmallows and how I'm the marshmallows and I melt into him – _don't_ say how cute that is, or I will fly out that window."

"I was going to say it was decent analogy," North said.

"Don't you see my point? Don't you know how Cupid's magic works?" Jack continued. "She said her magic makes it easy for people to express their true affections."

North stroked his beard silently, and then nodded with a sound of agreement. "I am aware of her magic, but I thought you already knew Jamie liked you."

"I did, but it was different dealing with it up close. He was looking at me with big lovey-dovey eyes and his pupils were so big and he kept trying to talk me into kissing him and giving in – and _it's weird_. Have you ever dealt with that? Have you? 'Cause it's awkward like hell. And I swear, I _swear_, if Jamie comes on to me one more time, I'm gonna do something I'll regret. Like punch him." Jack took in a deep breath through his parched throat. "I think I'm losing my voice."

"Jack." North's voice was as grave as when he had spoken to Jack about Pitch. It immediately caught Jack's full attention. "If you ever hurt Jamie-"

"I'd never hurt Jamie. I've never gotten the urge to hurt him, ever. I'm his guardian. I look after him," Jack said. "I'm…hurt that you think I'd do something like that."

"You said the next time he flirts with you, you will punch him."

"I said I might do something I'll regret."

"Like punching him."

"North, please don't turn this onto me. I already feel guilty."

"You feel guilty – and confused. Jack, I do not mean any offence, but I dislike you coming to me for advice on Jamie. You are not a kid anymore. You cannot run to me after every chat with Jamie. You have been alive for three centuries. You know how the world and life works. No more fathering. I only tell you this: face your confusion. You cannot run away anymore. Jamie is delicate, like glass.

"You run away two times already. Two times for Jamie is too much. He is a child still. He needs love and caring. He has no father, only his mother. You are the closest to family he has. _More_ than family. He loves you. Love, too, is fragile.

"Love also is confusing. It's like words you never read in a book. Good analogy?"

"Good analogy, and that's a lot of advice for _only telling you this_." Jack snorted. "Why don't you get me a self-help book? I'm sure it has chapters on everything you're saying."

"Jack, I took you seriously. Now you take me seriously." North placed his hands on Jack's shoulders and looked at him straight in the eyes. In the distance was the serious Russian netting doll, standing next to the other dolls on a shelf along the far wall. "This is great thing for you to experience. Embrace it, despite the confusion and fear. Let it take you where it will. Starting is the hardest part. Once past, everything is sailing smooth."

"So what do I do?"

"I am done advising you. It's flying solo now." North chuckled. "Is from a song I heard."

"Just tell me what to do!"

"I already have told you too much for _only tell you this._"

Jack face palmed. "You gave me a _speech_. What's one sentence compared to that?"

"Okay. One more tip. Kiss him." North burst into laughter. "That is all."

"Fine!" Jack stood up, directing a gust of wind to shoot his staff into his palm. "I'll kiss him, and if that doesn't work, then I'm done with this." Jack started to leave.

"What will you do then? Run away from Jamie?" North asked.

"Maybe."

"And then what? Stay away from him forever?"

Jack whirled, another gust of wind rattling the instruments on North's worktable and sending more of the ice action figures falling down. "Don't tease me."

"Tease you? How?"

"Telling me to kiss him!"

North stood up from the sofa. "I was serious!"

"I can't just _kiss_ him!"

A yeti walked into the room, brushing past Jack with a pointed look.

He had only started speaking in yetish when Cupid flew in, accompanied by yeti shouts at her tail.

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy!" She twirled in the air. "It's been a long time, North." She dropped at his feet, kneeling with her head bowed. "It's an honor to be in your presence."

"How did you get in?" North asked, shooing away the crowd of yetis that now clogged the doorway.

"Shot a few arrows – give or take a dozen. You wouldn't believe how many yetis have crushes on elves! It's the cutest thing!"

Jack scrunched his face. "Awkward…" he said and continued on his way out. "It takes me centuries to break in, and she gets in with one try."

"It also took me centuries to break in. This isn't my first time breaking in, but it's been about two centuries since I last got in. There are other sights to see, no offence, North."

Jack stopped and looked over his shoulder. "_You're_ a distraction. Far from wonderful, though. More like annoying and unneeded."

"My heart, it can't take such insults." Cupid put a hand over her heart and mock fainted. "But I came just to tell you that Jamie thinks you hate him. He remembered most of what happened with the love arrow, and he feels terrible about how he acted. You know it was only because the strength of the magic.

"Please go back and make things right with him. I can feel his heartbreak all the way here, and it hurts me to feel it too. He loves you so much. You should know that from how he looked at you."

Jack held a hand up, silencing her immediately. "It's a pet peeve of mine when people deal the guilt card."

"But it's all true. He's hurting real bad, Jack. His heart is poorly guarded. When he was under the love spell, he laid everything out." Cupid flew in front of Jack, looking into his eyes like everyone else seemed to be doing nowadays; look into his soul and convey the true severity of the situation. "You're holding his heart in your hands, and you're freezing it cold."

"Strangely, I don't feel guilty."

"That is not what you said to me," North said.

Jack shook his head. "I'm done with this." He blasted through the doors with an explosion of frost and snow.

#

Cupid looked at North. "Time for Plan B."

"Plan B?"

"Since Jack refuses to acknowledge his feelings, I'm forcing them out."

North nodded appreciatively. "Shoot him?"

"Then he'll blame his feelings on me!" Cupid shook her head rapidly and then floated closer to North's head. As if telling juicy gossip, she whispered mischievously, "I'm going to shoot someone else."

* * *

**A/N: **Not beta'd.

This is where (you probably guessed it - or not) the jealousy part comes in.

THANKS FOR YOU REVIEWS. THEY MAKE ME FEEL LOVED. I have a poll on my profile that may influence what the next multi-chapter story I write will be, as well as one-shots. I'm totally up for Black Ice. So please take it. :)

You're getting something sweet in the next chapter, so stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

The fourth day of winter break was when the fun started to wear off for Jamie. He didn't miss the long eight hours spent cooped in small rooms while teachers tried to force new facts into his brain. He missed the conversations he had with his friends during break and lunch, and the countless times he ran into them during passing times.

Six years was a long time to distance himself from the same children he battled alongside in the battle against fear. Of the group of children, the First Believers, as Jack sometimes dramatically referred them to, Jamie only had close bonds with Monty and Pippa.

Cupcake had grown into her menacing appearance and tended to treat others with disrespect. She never pressed people's boundaries on purpose, but she still earned herself the title of a bully. There was something she liked about Jamie, so she left him among the crowd of unknowns.

The twins Claude and Caleb had let themselves get pulled into the thrill and drama of popularity. They surrounded themselves with those at the peak of the social pyramid – somehow keeping their names on the Nice List (according to Jack), even with the misdemeanors their group got into. They didn't ignore Jamie as did Cupcake, but they only offered nods and waves in the halls. When Jamie spoke with either of the two it was always small talk. Claude had a habit of veering off topic, disinterested in most of what Jamie had to say. Caleb, on the other hand, had lost his chattiness over the years and now was the most reserved kid on campus. His status among the elite of the social pyramid was due to his gentler looks than his brother. Handsome and sweet, not vain like others. It was no wonder he was voted the friendliest in the 8th grade Hall of Awards. (Claude on the other hand was voted as most talkative.)

Monty and Pippa got along as well as Jamie did with them, so the trio spent lunch and after school hours together. Sometimes one would invite another friend, hoping to incorporate them into the group. But it was like the strongest bond had formed between them, and anyone trying to join felt like an intruder. Jamie certainly had other friends, not as close as Monty or Pippa.

One of these other friends texted Jamie the directions to a winter bash, one she couldn't attend, but thought Jamie might be interested in. It was held at a house on Pippa's street, and not too far from Monty's apartment building. He phoned the two, and four hours before midnight arrived at the party, dressed warmly but trendily at the same time.

He needed a break from the emotional turbulence he'd been through, and after a full day of no Jack Frost, Jamie didn't think twenty-four hours alone would be healthy. Especially since his mother was on art exhibit trip for the next three days.

"I don't know why I came. Parties aren't my thing," Pippa said as the three walked into the spacious living room. "And they aren't yours either, Jamie. Is there someone here you're meeting?"

Jamie shook his head. "I just need some time away from home. It's getting boring with the winter snoozies. Ya know? The break's magic is wearing off. I'm starting to miss school."

"School?" Monty shuddered. "That word should be banned on vacations."

"Not the educational part. The friends part."

"You have us," Pippa said. She snatched the three of them seats on a couch, smiling apologetically at the girls she had beaten. "Aren't we enough?"

"I have other friends too." Jamie settled between Pippa and an arm rest. "And I'm sort of friends with my English teacher, Mr. Kinsey."

"He's so handsome," Pippa gushed.

"He's forty," Monty said irritably. "I don't see why half the school thinks he's so good-looking. He wore out his looks a long time ago if you ask me."

"That's because you're a boy. If you were a girl you'd understand. Jamie understands, don't you?"

"Sorry. I'm a boy."

Pippa smacked his arm lightly. "But you're gay. Don't you find him handsome?"

"Yeah, but I'm not attracted to him." Not like I am to Jack, he thought. He clamped down. If he retreated further into those thoughts, he'd return to his mental pool of sorrow. "But Mr. K is flat out gorgeous."

"You mean that student teacher?" Monty made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. "He's creepy. He dyed his hair fire truck red and has tattoos all over his back. He was wearing this white t-shirt and I swear it's against the dress code to show off body art – especially if you're staff."

"He's being creative," Pippa said.

"He doesn't need to show it off to the whole school. It's like he's trying to seduce students. He flashed his abs in the cafeteria to 'show' art students what real abs look like. That's creepy."

"That's helpful. Artists need references, and what's better than getting them in person?"

"Uh, the _internet_."

Monty and Pippa descended into an argument, and Jamie zoned out.

He propped his arm on the armrest and his head on his open palm. He watched the party quickly mature into a funhouse. More people poured in – some adults but mostly teens – and searched for friends. He knew none of his closer ones were attending, but maybe one of his acquaintances would pop up.

"Jamie, do you think Mr. K is gay?" Monty reached over Pippa's lap and poked Jamie.

"How am I supposed to know?" Jamie asked.

"He was flirting with Caleb last week in the locker room. And what business does he have in the locker room? He's a student teacher for _history_."

"Maybe he's interested in the history of locker rooms? It's not mandatory to shower anymore," Jamie joked.

"Or maybe…he's researching something else."

"Please tell me you're joking," Pippa said, unable to tell if Monty was joking or serious.

"I'm joking! But seriously, he was flirting with Caleb."

"How? By talking to him?" Pippa laughed.

"He was doing the arm thing guys when they hit on girls."

"Leaning on the wall?"

"Yeah! And he was flexing his arm like this." Monty shrugged one arm out of a jack sleeve and rolled his shirt sleeve up to his elbows. He pressed his hand against couch's backrest and strained his face in utter concentration.

"You mean he was flexing his face?" Pippa snorted.

"His arm! Look."

A few hard chuckles escaped Jamie. "I don't see anything," he said.

"You should hit the gym, Monty. The only thing you're flexing is your face," Pippa said and then burst into laughter.

"No, no. I got this." Monty pushed again.

"Uh, what's going on?" Caleb stood in front of Jamie, hands stuffed deep in his jean pockets.

"Nothing." Monty withdrew his hand quickly. "Just testing the sturdiness of this sofa."

"Did it pass?"

"Yeah. Manufacturers these days are slacking off." Monty pressed on the backrest again, face nearing a beat red. "They didn't slack off on this one though. Pretty good."

"That's nice. My cousin went crazy with the décor."

"Your cousin lives here?" Pippa asked. "How long?"

"She just finished moving here last week. You didn't notice? I thought you live around here."

"I do, but I never noticed moving trucks."

Jamie wanted to ask how old Caleb's cousin was, but his tongue froze when he saw a feathery head duck behind the heads of a small crowd of boys. One of the boys bent over laughing, giving Jamie a clear view of the next crowd over. There was nothing feathery there - nothing as feathery as the decorations on Cupid's helm.

Caleb followed Jamie's gaze. "See someone?"

"I thought I did."

Caleb smiled, his teeth a clean white against the darkness of his skin. Jamie's moistened his lips, looking down at the shell of his boots.

Pippa nudged Jamie three times, hard. "I'm getting a drink." She stood up and looked at Monty.

Monty stared at her. "Oh, okay. Can you get me something too?"

"Come with, dumby." Pippa grabbed Monty's hand and pulled him into the throngs of crowds.

"It's been a long time since we last spoke," Caleb said, and then pointed at the entryway to the dining room. "Can we go in the yard? It's loud in here, and Claude is hooking up some dubstep."

#

The yard was covered with a fresh layer of snow. Jamie thought of Jack, and then turned his thoughts to Caleb who was fetching drinks from inside. His heart was jumping at the strangeness of the situation. Jamie always felt a surge of panic whenever diving into unfamiliar territories – mostly with social situations. With Caleb there was a rush of nostalgia.

He remembered how he used to ice skate with Caleb and Claude on Jack's lake. That was until Claude broke through the ice and the town was sent into a panic. The lake was deemed unsafe for any activities, but that didn't keep Jamie and others from visiting it. Once he watched from the trees while a group of kids threw the rocks from his summoning pile onto the lake. They were counting how many it would take to break it. When the ice broke, Jack breezed in, prepared for an emergency.

The kids saw Jack and blasted out of the forest as if on rockets. Jack was too fazed by the fact that they had seen him than the fact that they were frightened senseless.

And again, Jack had breached Jamie's thoughts.

"Hot cocoa," Caleb said, carrying two large mugs of steaming chocolate. And marshmallows. Jamie noticed the marshmallows right away.

"_We're meant to be together! Like hot chocolate and marshmallows!_"

The words came back to his memory with a snap. He nearly dropped his mug as it was handed to him.

"Careful." Caleb's hand was hot against his, and rough. Jamie remembered that Caleb used to have soft hands as a child.

Jamie blew into the mug, sending steam billowing into his face. He smiled. "Thanks."

They sipped quietly, Caleb's eyes never leaving Jamie. Jamie looked at the house where the loud beat of a bass erupted.

"How old's your cousin?" Jamie asked, wanting to turn Caleb's intense focus on him onto something else.

"She's twenty-something."

"Oh."

Small talk. Oh, how Jamie hated it.

"We used to talk all the time," Caleb said after a long while of sipping and looking at the few others in the yard. "What happened?"

"I don't know." Jamie fought hard to find something acceptable to add on. "But I miss when we used to play. You, me, and Claude."

Caleb smiled. "And Pippa and Monty."

"Don't forget Cupcake."

"And Jack Frost," Caleb said with a glint in his eye.

"You still believe?" Jamie broke into a fat grin.

"Of course. I still see him a few times a year. I also saw North a few years ago. He visited my neighbors. Oh yeah, and Bunny last year. He needs to work on hiding quicker."

Jamie felt a flood of confidence, rushing through his emotions and clearing out any negativity. "Lucky! I haven't seen him for a year at least. He's too busy preparing for Easter to visit me. Jack –," Jamie stopped himself and then started on a new trail, "I saw Tooth for years after Pitch fell in the lake. Sophie still had to lose her teeth. She still has a few left."

"I should sleepover when she loses her next one. I'd like to see Tooth again."

Jamie's mind went south to dirty thoughts and he cleared his throat. "Um, yeah, maybe."

"Sorry…" Caleb blushingly said. "That was kind of…awkward."

"Only if you think of it that way." And then it was Jamie's turn to blush and turn into himself.

As one they finished off their drinks, faces red and eyes darting around the emptying yard. When Jamie finished he made a content sound and pretended to forget all about their awkward conversation. "I can put the mugs away…"

"You're a guest. I'll do it." Caleb half ran to the house.

Jamie unconsciously brushed his hair back, cheeks stinging pleasantly. Caleb returned just as the music stopped pumping, cheeks still red. "Someone called the cops. Party's over."

"Already?" Jamie laughed.

"It started at three but you came late."

Caleb had noticed when he walked in?

"You can stay if you want, but I need to clear the house out and make sure there aren't any smuggled beer bottles – which there probably are."

"I'll help." Jamie gestured in the direction of his house. "And afterwards we can hangout. My mom's gone for a few nights so I don't have any curfew."

"Don't forget me!" Jack dropped down from an overlooking branch, hanging by his hook before dropping delicately on the ground. "You can't ditch your plans with me!"

"Jack!" Caleb jumped back. "How are you?"

"Cold, as always." Jack eyed Caleb coolly. He turned his gaze to Jamie, gazing warming. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't like parties. Especially thumping ones like this." He looked at Caleb. "Oh. Was this your party?"

Caleb smiled and shook his head. "It's technically Claude's. Our cousin agreed to throw it here though."

"That's nice…"

* * *

**A/N: **Un'beta'd.

I'M SORRY I'M LEAVING IT HERE! There's more to this, but I don't have time to type it out. I'll post the next chapter within a week (hopefully). I have a lot of schoolwork right now and there's barely time to write.

Consider this a chapter 5 1/2.

If you didn't figure it out, Cupid shot Caleb. Next chapter is more jealous!Jack.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

There was a drawn out silence that Jamie was sure Caleb didn't feel comfortable in. Jack's eyes were trained on Caleb as if he was an enemy.

"So," Jamie said, bringing his hands together in a clap and rubbing them for unneeded warmth; he was still warm from the touch of Caleb's hands. "…Winter break's pretty boring, right?" he asked Caleb, trying to act casual, but he was terrible at acting, and Jack called him out on it.

"I'm just going to cut the awkward silence and take Jamie home. It's getting really late and we have plans." Jack hooked Jamie around the waist with his staff and pulled him in the direction of the backyard gate. Jamie couldn't protest without sounding eager to spend time alone with Caleb, so he waved shyly.

"I guess I'll see you later," Caleb said, scratching his neck in confusion. "…And you Jack."

"Have a nice a day. Night. Don't care," Jack muttered and walked to the gate, pulling Jamie along with his staff.

"What the heck, Jack?" Jamie slammed the gate shut behind them. Cars were filling with partygoers and leaving quickly, no one paying Jamie any attention, so he continued to talk to Jack without any mind to how silly he would look to others. It was dark as well, so no one would be able to put a name to his face. And with Jack's strange, clingy behavior, Jamie didn't care if someone saw him yelling at open air. "You ignore me for days and then pop out of nowhere and say we have _plans_?" He knocked away Jack's staff that still supported his back. He marched ahead, suddenly remembering Pippa and Monty. Oh well. He'd call them later to see if they got home alright.

Jack didn't say anything, but Jamie knew he was walking behind him. He could hear the scratches of the staff against the sidewalk, and the chill of fresh snow and frost spreading in the cracks of the sidewalk. They turned the corner of a sidewalk and Jack still was silently frosting the sidewalk. A car drove past, blaring a song that made Jamie's list of Most Hated Songs. After that car was a stretch of time where no vehicles passed, and Jamie decided then to make a stand for himself. It was better now in the dark where the darkness could mask his expressions. If he cried, he didn't want Jack to see.

Jamie wasn't aware of how close Jack had been walking, so when he spun around, his arms smacked against Jack's staff. He yelped at the cold bite of ice and wrung out his hand. "Watch it!" Jamie snapped.

"You watch it!" Jack snapped back.

"What's with you? You've been acting weird ever since you found out you-know-what. Can you stop glaring at me? I haven't done anything but tell you the truth and all you've done is run away with your tail between your legs and stupid excuses."

"They aren't stupid excuses. If you were in my shoes you'd understand." Jack's voice was somber now, his expression lax.

"You don't have shoes."

Jack threw a hand in the air, bursts of frost erupting from his staff. "And you tell me to take you seriously?"

"I'll take you seriously if you take me seriously."

"Deal."

Jamie thought of where to start. What did he even want to start? He didn't have a clue of what he wanted specifically. He knew he wanted closure, but a closure so broad it answered all his questions – and Jack's as well. The questions he didn't know. He knew the feelings they went hand in hand with, but how to reach them with words was beyond his knowledge.

Jack started the walk back to Jamie's home, but Jamie grabbed his staff and tugged him back to place. If they went back home, Jamie would lose his focus and this new found courage to tackle their problems head on. "I don't want to talk at home," Jamie said.

"I don't want to talk here. How about the lake?"

"That's too far."

"We'll fly."

Flying meant touching Jack, meant holding him, wrapping his legs around his waist. Jamie wasn't sure if Jack knew what flying now meant, but he wasn't going to leave a chance at progression. They were getting somewhere tonight, not dancing around their feelings. And Jamie wasn't going to let Jack go again. If Jack flew away one more time, he wouldn't be able to fly two meters off the ground without Jamie hanging onto his legs.

Jamie climbed onto Jack's back, face immediately flushing with heat. He wrapped his arms around Jack's neck, his head on Jack's shoulder. "You can go now," he said after a few seconds of Jack doing nothing but standing still.

"Something's poking me in the back…"

Jamie's heart and mind stopped.

"I'm kidding," Jack muttered darkly. "You made a joke about my feet so I can make a joke about your boner."

"_EXCUSE ME._ I do _NOT_ have a boner." Jamie considered biting Jack's ear. A week ago he would have, when it wouldn't be taken as a flirt.

"I know. I'm just joking. You're acting like Bunny. Chill out."

#

At the lake Jamie sat on a flat rock. Jack had dropped him off and then took a few minutes re-frosting the area. The moon seemed to cast a giant spotlight on the lake, and Jamie wondered if MiM was watching, encouraging this meeting. Did MiM approve of their relationship. _Possible_ relationship? Was it even possible for a Guardian to be with a human? Jamie wondered if he and Jack would be the first – if they ever got anywhere.

He had a feeling that tonight would go well. Jack wanted to talk, and Jamie didn't have a foreboding feeling of doom. He could taste adrenaline in his mouth instead, and his fingers and legs were twitching. What would happen if he were to just grab Jack by his sweater and smash their lips together? Would there be rewards to reap or consequences to suffer?

If Cupid had anything to do with his confidence, Jamie couldn't tell. He could think clearly unlike the first time Cupid had shot him, so if he _had _been shot, Cupid had regained control over her magic. And if he was experiencing the effects of another arrow (or two or three), then he owed her.

"Whatever happens, do you promise not to run away?" Jamie asked as Jack sat on the rock next to Jamie. Their legs brushed, hands briefly touching before Jamie clasped his hands over his lap.

"Promise. But I can't promise I'll stay on this rock. We're a snug fit." Jack scooted closer to Jamie even though he had enough space on his other side.

Jamie nodded and waited for someone to start their conversation. He didn't want to be the one, so he stuck his hands up his sleeves to keep them warm and hoped Jack would take the hint. He didn't. So for an extremely awkward minute, they sat quietly. Jack at least had his staff to feign interest in. After three centuries he ought to have every detail memorized.

"Do you like him?" Jack finally asked.

"Like who?"

"Caleb."

Jamie muttered noncommittally. "He's nice."

"And handsome."

"Doesn't mean I like him…"

"You were acting all mushy around him. You kept doing that smiley-lip-twitch thing when you talked. And your eyes were sparkling like he was shining gold. And that's not normal at night." Jack's voice had a sharp, angry edge to it. "Why were you even talking? I thought he ditched you for the cool kids."

"I'm just as shocked as you. He started talking to me out of nowhere." Jamie wondered if it had something to do with the approaching holiday season. He knew some people turned up their kindness notches during the holidays to increase their chances of goodies. He also knew people usually were more compassionate during the holidays. Caleb could have seen something sad about Jamie and decided to play up their long-gone friendship. "But he hasn't changed much since we last hung out. He's just older and more popular now."

"Hypothetically, if he asked you out, would you say 'yes'?"

Jamie could see the jealousy pit Jack sat in. He smiled, flattered that someone was jealous at the idea of him with someone else, and then came to a shock.

"You're jealous," Jamie said, nudging Jack's arm good-naturedly.

"I just don't like him being with you. He's been ignoring you for years, and then all of a sudden flirts with you. I wouldn't be the only one who thinks that sounds sketchy."

"The year's almost over. People want to finish off strong with no regrets. Like we're doing now. I don't want to start a new year with this conflict unsolved. I'm glad we're talking now." Jamie could feel Jack's gaze on his downturned face. He looked up from his feet to Jack, who now grabbed his wrist though his sleeve.

"Can I hold your hand?" Jack's voice was barely above a whisper. "I just want to see if-"

Jamie unsheathed a hand and held it open, fingers brushing against Jack's. They laced their fingers together. Their gazes met, and Jack wordlessly opened his mouth. "Uh, I – I, um – They fit well," he said, sounding strained. Jamie watched his face as Jack squeezed their hands a few times, each time stronger and stronger.

"Do you want to let go?" Jamie asked, wishing for a negative answer; he loved the strange warmth of Jack's hand. It was cold, but warm at the same time – a strange combo, but Jamie loved it and wondered how it would feel elsewhere. Everywhere. His mouth dried.

Jack shook his head. "No. It's nice. I like it. You're really warm, but not painfully warm."

It seemed like good progress. Jamie didn't know where to take it from there. How far was the next step? Was it too big a step for either of them? Was kissing the next step? It seemed like a massive step from holding hands, so there must be something smaller – and that was if Jack was admitting his feelings. What the hell were they even doing? Holding hands as friends? Lovers? _Lovers!_ Jamie was getting _way _too far ahead.

_Stick in the reality zone_, Jamie told himself, _and don't get lost in the clouds_.

"If we're going to get somewhere," Jack said, "you need to talk."

"I like you. A lot. I want to be with you." Jamie tucked his chin in, waiting for Jack to pull his hand away, but he didn't; he held tighter. "No question about it. I _really _like you. _There._ Now you talk."

"I guess it's all on me then." Jack pulled Jamie's hand onto his lap and unlaced their fingers. Jamie struggled to keep his hopes small. And then Jack splayed Jamie's hand out on his own, stroking the flesh on the back of Jamie's hand gently. Jamie shivered, just as his heart did.

Jack was observing the differences between their hands, Jamie realized. He compared their lengths, and the slight ridges of veins on Jamie's hand that seemingly didn't exist on Jack's hand. "My hand is so pale compared to yours. And you're as white as humans can get – before they die." He put Jamie's hand back on his lap, eyes downcast.

Jamie took Jack's hand while it was still in close reach. "You aren't dead, if that's what you're saying. You're still breathing. You're still alive. You died, but you came back. Like Jesus."

"Jesus…" Jack pondered. "Sounds respectable."

"He died for us. You died for your sister."

Jack turned a quick look at him, and Jamie feared he had crossed a boundary.

"You're right…" Jack smiled.

"And you're skin's not very dead-looking-ish." Jamie chuckled, and Jack grinned wider. "Your skin's extremely pale, but it's not like the dead. It's like snow and frost. Like you are a human with the qualities of snow and ice added in. Your hair is snow white, and your eyes are blue like the sky and that's not dead at all. It's lively. You know?"

"Very poetic," Jack commented after a soft laugh. He leaned in closer to Jamie. "And do my eyes look like snowflakes?"

"They do actually." Jamie managed not stutter at their close proximity. "Your iris, not your actual eye, 'cause that'd be weird."

"Can you imagine me with snowflake shaped eyes?"

"N-not without wanting to laugh."

Jamie was still holding Jack's hand, his own warm and sticky, his heartbeat erratic, his skin unaware of the cold climate, and his mind spinning so quickly that everything seemed to go in stop motion.

"Can I kiss you?" Jamie blurted, his mouth only inches from Jack's. Since when had they started gravitating towards each other?

"I-" Jack leaned away. He yanked his hand out of Jamie's.

"I'm sorry. It just seemed like you wanted to – you were leaning in and – I read too much into it." Jamie felt cheated; Jack was the first to hold his hand. Jack _head _leaned in and his eyes had gone to Jamie's mouth. Jamie _knew _it. He knew he wasn't seeing thing he wished for. He _knew_.

"But maybe it'll help," Jack said, voice a soft caress in Jamie's ears. "Kiss me."

"Are you sure? You won't run away if it's not what you like?"

Jack crossed his heart.

"O-okay. Um, do you want to do it or I can -"

Jack kissed him. Hard and quick. He jerked back.

"T-that was fast," Jamie laughed nervously. He touched his lips, the warmth of Jack's lips lingering with a peppermint-like chill.

"Can I do it again? But slower? I didn't feel anything." Jack sounded confused – and disappointed. Was he hoping for something he hadn't gotten?

Jamie panicked. What if Jack felt nothing? What if Jack didn't feel the spark Jamie could feel even without their lips touching?

What if Jack only liked him as a friend?

"Sure." Jamie met Jack halfway, parting his lips. They stayed still for a moment, and Jamie worried that Jack felt nothing special. He scooted flush against Jack and wrapped his arms around his neck, angling his head into the kiss. He swiped his tongue against Jack's bottom lip, pleading for Jack to do something other than receiving the kiss.

Jack pushed Jamie away, nearly shoving him off the rock. He didn't look pleased. "Too fast."

"S-sorry."

Jack rubbed his lips that were now a light pink. His cheeks were flushed, and his pupils dilated. They were sure signs of arousal, but why did Jack look so disappointed?

"How'd it feel?" Jamie asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"Weird." Jack shrugged.

"Was it bad?"

"I don't know. It was scary. Like I was falling in the lake again."

If that wasn't an insult, Jamie didn't know what else it was. "I'm sorry. I won't –" Kiss you again? If Jamie said that, then it was over. He'd be admitting defeat. "I'm sorry," he repeated, vision glazing. "I-I'm really sorry."

And because he didn't know what else to do, he left.

Jack didn't follow him.

#

When Jamie got home, he soaked in a hot bubble bath to burn away the chill in his heart. He made bubble piles and statues, but they reminded him of snowmen and frosted trees. He swiped a hand through his creations at the same he heard a thunk and a groan of pain.

He quickly rinsed off and patted himself dry. He slipped into his bathrobe, grabbed a bottle of shampoo from underneath the bathroom sink, and edged towards the doorway of his bedroom.

"Jamie!" someone exclaimed.

He stepped into the room and chucked it at the source of the voice.

Caleb gasped and threw himself to the ground. The bottle sailed out the open window. "It's me!" Caleb put his arms in the air. "It's me!"

"C-Caleb!" Jamie tightened his bathroom. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I was on your balcony and there was this freaky sound and someone was in the alley staring at me and your window was unlocked." Caleb's blush was distinguishable even through the darkness of his skin.

"Why were you on my balcony?" Jamie wondered if Jack had anything to do with it. Maybe Jack had realized his feelings for Jamie were unromantic, and in pity had put Caleb on his balcony.

"To give you this." Caleb slipped off a sporty draw bag, fumbled with the drawstring, and pulled out a vivid red rose. "My family was invited to a formal holiday party and I was wondering if you'd be my date."

Date? Jamie's jaw and arms went slack. "Date?"

"Y-yeah. I know it's sudden and we don't know each other as well as we did years ago, and I know parties aren't your favorite and you hate dressing up and – uh, I thought we could get to know each other again – if you want to." Caleb was blushing even redder. "I was going to ask you tomorrow morning but Claude said it's more romantic when it's at night and it's better to climb through a window. We used our dad's ladder to get up here. And I almost fell. I think you should know that… I went through danger… to get to you."

Jamie bit the back of his hand, trying to hold in the laughter that was bubbling in his chest.

"Claude told me to say that. I'm not that – that cheesy." Caleb looked terribly embarrassed, holding the rose out.

Jamie took it, noticing that the thorns had been removed. "How's it not crushed?" Jamie asked and gestured to Caleb's draw bag.

"I taped it to cardboard," he said. "And here's the invitation." He pulled out square envelope. "It's this Saturday night. I can drive us to the party, if your mom allows me. I've had my license for a year already, so I'm not on probation."

"Probation?" Jamie asked, fingering the soft petals of the rose. He laid it and the envelope on his nightstand.

"For a year after you get your license, or until you turn eighteen, there are r-restrictions. Jamie, your robe is kind of, um-"

"Huh?" Jamie didn't see anything off about it.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" Caleb averted his eyes from Jamie.

Jamie grabbed boxers, sweats and a long-sleeved shirt and then rushed to dress in the bathroom. When he returned to the room, Jack was sitting on his bed, Caleb awkwardly standing next to the window.

"What are you doing here?" Jamie asked.

"What's he doing here?" Jack pointed at Caleb. "Does your mom know you have a guy in your bedroom?" His voice was bitter and the look he gave Caleb was sour. "I don't think she'd approve."

"You're a guy too," Caleb said.

Jack shrugged and plucked the rose from the nightstand. "Pretty," he said to Caleb. "Did you cut this from a backyard?"

"Actually, yes. My backyard is filled with roses."

"Jack, what are you doing here?" Jamie asked, holding a hand out for the rose. Jack nearly slapped it into his hand.

"I came to apologize for not running after you. It wasn't right to watch you leave. And there's more I'd say, but it's not for all ears." He looked at Caleb.

"I-I should be going. I'll see you later." Caleb started for the window, and then said, "I'll go out the front door."

"I'll lock the door after you." Jamie followed Caleb out, Jack's eyes glaring holes into him.

#

Jamie nearly ran into his room after seeing Caleb out. His vision was a red haze.

Jack held Caleb's rose, inspecting it in disgust. "I don't understand why he cut the thorns. Roses aren't roses without thorns." A thin layer of frost crawled up the stem and coated the petals. "That's better. Beautiful and cold."

"No more bullshitting, Jack." Jamie slapped the rose from Jack's hand. "You're jealous about Caleb. Admit it."

"Fine! I'll admit it. I hate him. I hate seeing you blush in front of him, hate how your eyes go all sparkly when you see him, hate how-how he's _human_ and _mortal_ and you can _marry_ him and have a family and be normal humans." Jack was fuming, snow whipping from the gray clouds forming above his head. "It's not fair. It's not fair at _all_. You _can't_ be with me Jamie. I'm immortal. _You're not_."

"So you do like me. You're just scared that I'll die?"

Jack nodded, the blue of his eyes shining with tears. "I can't stand that. I can't live through it again. Not after – after –" He shook his head, tears now streaking down his cheeks and freezing before they reached his chin. "I want to love you, but I can't. I _can't_."

"Jack…"

Jack was out the window in seconds.

* * *

**A/N: **Un'beta'd.

I need a beta now. PM me if you're intersted.

Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end.

Just kidding. No promises will be made about happy endings.

Reviews mean so much to me. And I don't know if I'll get the next chapter out by Christmas, so here's your Christmas gift! Full of angst and drama! Just how you like your presents. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

He had run away – again, for the third time, and even after promising to stay no matter what happened. He froze in the sky, looking over his shoulder at the golden lights of Burgess. He wanted to go back and wanted to leave, wanted to forget about his immortally and wanted to remember it, wanted to love Jamie and wanted to hate him. If he was mortal, or if Jamie was immortal – no, he couldn't let his thoughts drift from reality to fantasy. And despite his hatred for living through centuries with no end, he didn't want to become mortal. He was sure MiM had some ancient power up his sleeves make Jack human again – or make Jamie immortal.

Stay or go? Jack dropped a few feet in the air, then the wind picked up again and he shot several meters in the sky. Was the wind telling him to leave? Stay? Make up his mind? What about the moon? Did the moon have anything to say? It stared at him, silent, as always – as it had been for all those years Jack spent alone. Sometimes he wished the moon never had spoken to him. He wouldn't have spent centuries knowing someone could speak with him, but decided not to. He wouldn't feel as unwanted as he had for endless years.

"Gah!" Jack gripped his hair. "What do I do?"

The wind pushed him towards Jamie's home, then away. "Like that helps!" Jack said as the wind spun him around and then let him drop. "Quit it!" Jack was thrown in the air, spun helpless in pinwheels. "I'll go!" he screamed, and the wind dropped him. "I mean stay!" Jack's fall halted immediately. "Jeez. That's real nice! Just torture me until I do what you want."

#

Jack had expected Jamie's window to be open. He would have crashed into it if he hadn't pushed off the wall with his feet. He flipped backwards, hook grabbing onto the balcony's railing. His momentum swung him into the railing with a force strong enough to knock the air out of his lungs. He landed in a small heap of snow, still feeling the impact of the asphalt. His staff was hanging on the railing.

The window slid open, and Jamie poked his head over the balcony. "Jack?" he said, unhooking the staff. "Is that you?"

"I did an epic fail. You'd laugh if you saw."

"Sure I would." There was a hum in Jamie's voice, and Jack wondered if Jamie had been expecting him to run back. Jamie dropped the staff.

Jack caught it and closed the distance between them, tackling Jamie with a hug. They fell against the open window, nearly falling in. Jamie groped for the side for the wall, and Jack did the same –for the same wall. Their hands grabbed at each other, and they lost their balance. They fell into the room, Jack's staff catching on the window frame. It fell on the balcony, and Jack fell on top of Jamie in the room.

"You okay?" Jack asked, looking over Jamie's exposed skin for bruises. He checked Jamie's face; he was sure they had clashed noses sometime in the tumble.

"I'm fine!" Jamie was all smiles, cheeks red. "Why'd you come back?"

"Because I'm not running away any more."

Jack froze when Jamie's hand came up to stroke his cheekbone. His fingers danced along the curve, sending tingles in their path. "In what way?"

"I don't want to leave you again." Jack found it difficult to keep his voice steady. Jamie's hand had slid to the back of his neck, rubbing small circles against the small hairs at his nape.

"Me either. What happened to the cocky Jack Frost I used to know?"

"He fell in the lake again – the lake of…_love_."

Jamie didn't appear to hear him at first, but then he laughed, his eyes lit like hazel lanterns. In any mood, Jamie was beautiful, but when he laughed, there was nothing that could enthral Jack more.

"Are you playing around? Or are you serious?"

"I'm serious."

Jamie pulled Jack's face in, noses brushing. "You want me?"

"That's a bit forward."

"Ha ha ha. I didn't mean it like _that_." Jamie nudged their noses together. "I mean, do you want to be with me? Date me? I know you're scared about us being mortal and immortal. And that doesn't go well in the media… But… we can just enjoy it while it lasts. Can't we?" He rose on his elbows and pressed his lips to Jack's. "Right, Jack?" Another kiss, longer this time.

"Cupid isn't in here, is she?" Jack asked, sensing a little more courage from Jamie than was usual.

"I don't think so. She's kind of big to hide."

"She got in last time."

"I don't think she'd bother again after what happened. And if she did shoot me, then hallelujah. I have the courage to do this." Jamie pulled Jack in, one hand threading fingers through Jack's hair and the other stroking his neck. They kissed, longer than ever, lips still at first, and then moving in a smooth rhythm.

Jack was lost in bliss, oblivious to Jamie's moving hands until he felt warmth creeping up the back of his shirt. Jamie slid his hands up Jack's back, pulling them chest to chest.

Jack knew he'd regret this later. It wasn't right to leech from Jamie until he grew too old for Jack, and Jack _knew_ what they had wouldn't last that long. Be it days, weeks, months, or years –Jack wasn't going to hold Jamie down from reality.

Jack was real – to Jamie.

But to the world, Jack didn't exist.

#

Jack spent the rest of the night and the following morning at Jamie's. They slept in Jamie's small bed, legs tangled and bodies nicely fitted.

It wasn't the first time Jack had slept with Jamie. Jamie used to get nightmare scares after Pitch's defeat and wouldn't rest until Jack was holding him, his cold touch a reminder of his oath to protect children. It had purely been platonic.

Jamie slumbered soundly, a very faint smile on his lips. He didn't often smile in his sleep. The few times Jack remembered were when he told Jamie they could hang out for as long as Jamie wanted, when Jamie first visited North's workshop and Bunny's warren, and the night of Jamie's thirteenth birthday. Jack and other Guardians had surprised Jamie the moment he woke up – including Phil the yeti and two elves: Sam and Daisy.

Jack woke first. Until he heard the tapping on the window, he watched Jamie's sleeping face and stroked away stray strands of hair.

"Jamie," he whispered and gently shook the boy. "I have to get up."

Jamie wrinkled his nose and sleepily mumbled, "Five minutes." He cuddled closer to Jack, and now Jack _really_ hated to wake Jamie.

The tapping continued to the beat of a popular song from Jack's village. "Bunny," Jack groaned.

"Hop hop," Jamie murmured, still dozed off.

Jack carefully untangled himself from Jamie, using a pillow to replace himself. Jamie latched onto it like a magnet.

"Precious," Jack cooed and rustled Jamie's hair.

He slid open the curtains, Bunny kneeling at the window with a scowl. He looked Jack over. "You didn't-" he said when Jack slid the window open.

"I just _slept_ with him, as innocent as that can be. What're you doing here?"

"Manny's racked North up – and the other Guardians are fuming too." Bunny gestured out. "We have to go. Guardian meeting and you're the only one missing."

"What's it about?" Jack could see the conflicted feelings in Bunny's eyes, flickering from sympathy to anger, and he knew it was about him. It was about him and Jamie. It had to be, judging from Bunny's quick attention to Jack's matted appearance and the sleeping Jamie.

"I'll brief you quick. Don't get frozen stiff about it. Ugh, who am I kidding. You'll do it anyways." Bunny sighed. "Manny says that you can't be with Jamie."

"What? Why? Do I have to pass a test or something?" Jack tried to calm the growing anger in his belly. Why couldn't Manny have told him that before he got involved?

"No test. You just- he's _mortal_, Jack."

Jamie stirred, and Jack held his breath. He waited until Jamie was still before speaking again. "I know that..." It wasn't as though that hadn't crossed his mind before.  
Bunny sighed, eyes downcast. "Let's just go. So much for a quick briefing."

"A long time? Jamie's mortal! He doesn't have a long time!"

Jamie stirred, and Jack held his breath. He waited until Jamie was still before speaking again. "What does he mean wait? How long is a long time?"

"Years," Bunny said. "But North thinks Manny is up to – let's just go. So much for a quick briefing."

Jack grabbed his staff and quickly kissed Jamie. "See you later."

He started out the window.

"-love you," Jamie said, eyes open and clear of sleep. He had been faking sleep. He had heard Bunny. He knew. He was confused and hurt – and upset – and Jack wanted to take him along.

"Jack…" Bunny prompted, and Jack knew he understood. Bunny understood what Jack was going through. His eyes told Jack that he was no stranger to this. This had happened before. To Bunny? To Tooth? To who? It didn't end well – couldn't have. Bunny wouldn't have the pitying look that spoke volumes of how doomed Jack and Jamie were.

"I'll come back," Jack said. "I promise."

"If you have to leave, at least say good-bye…"

"I'll come back."

"If you have to go for good…at least-"

"I won't," Jack said firmly. "I _won't_."

"'Kay… Bye. Bring back a souvenir." Jamie smiled weakly.

Jack dropped his staff and lunged at Jamie, molding their lips together, pressing their bodies as tight and close as he could. "I'll try. North'll get pissed, but I will." He kissed Jamie's nose, holding his gaze until Bunny cleared his throat.

Seconds later, in the alley between Jamie's home and the next, Jack stared down at the fresh bunny hole. Bunny hadn't jumped yet, and Jack sensed there was something he wanted to say.

"Jack-"

"I'm not the first. Am I?"

"No."

Jack nodded numbly. "Did it work out?"

Quiet.

And then, "No."

* * *

**A/N: **Beta'd by **Shattered Equilibrium**. Lots of love to her. She's catching all my mistakes and making this easier on your eyes. Or not. Depends on if you're crying. Then it's all the same.

Short, but I wanted to get something out. I also needed to push this story along soon because my motivation was dying.

Reviewers, I love you. Readers, I love you. I never thought I'd get so many reviews for a story. I thought this story was going to blow over.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

The workshop was quiet, not as quiet as it was during Sandy's memorial, but quiet enough to know that something had disturbed the peace. The yetis hammered, glued, painted, and crafted toys as they always did, but their movements were stiff without the grace that came with their craftsmanship. The elves weren't interfering, and actually were helping the progress of toy making.

One of the smallest elves was attaching a wheel to a minature airplane when Jack walked by. The elf looked up at Jack with big watery eyes, chin wobbling. Jack recognized him as Sam. Sam's twin, Daisy, peeked out from the other side of the plane, eyes also watery. Jack picked them up, one by one, and let them sit on his shoulders.

As Jack walked to the throne room, yetis and elves gave pitying looks, many elves wiping tears. One promptly burst into tears and collapsed onto a half-wrapped gift box. He sobbed and beat his fists against the box, whining a terrible high pitched sound that chilled Jack's bones.

"Ignore them. Drama queens," Bunny said. He plucked Sam off Jack's shoulder and dropped him on table they passed.

Jack took him back, and the elf kissed his ear. Jack smiled, and then snarled when Sam stuck his long tongue in Jacks' ear. Daisy giggled, and Jack's smile returned. He'd allow Sam to lick his ear many more times if that meant everyone stopped acting like Jack was walking to his doom.

In the Throne Room, Jack had an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. It was as though he was visiting North's castle for the first time all over again. Tooth was commanding her fairies, North was welcoming Jack with arms open, Sandy was half asleep, but the air was thick and the sky was darker.

Daisy tugged on Jack's hair, asking for what Jack assumed was to be put down. Jack was lowering the elf when he started to protest, pointing to Jack's hoodie pocket. Sam dropped into Jack's hood where he curled into a ball.

Jack adjusted his hoodie while North whispered to the Guardians in a semi-huddle.

"I already know," Jack said, getting their attention with snaps of their heads. "Bunny told me that the Man In The Moon wants me to stay away from Jamie."

"I'm sorry, Jack. He should've told you before you got involved," Tooth apologized sincerely. "I'm so sorry."

Sandy made a frowning face above his head. A tear fell from the eyes.

"Manny will not explain now, but there is explanation for sure," North said with an affirming nod.

Jack waited for someone to carry on, but the Guardians were all quiet, watching Jack. Bunny looked like he was preparing for an explosion of frost and wind, Tooth's smile was twitching, Sandy was falling asleep again, and North was concentrating on the lump in Jack's hand warmer.

"Is that Sam?" North asked.

Jack felt a sudden pain and realized he had been clenching his teeth. "Daisy."

"Oh. Where is Sam? Those two are always together. Oh! There he is!" North waved at the mini-elf crawling out of Jack's hood and onto his shoulder.

"You're not going to do anything?" Jack choked. "You just tell me this news and _move on_?"

"We tried!" Tooth cried. "We _tried_, but he didn't listen!"

"Did you try or did you just fall back into your _stupid_ beliefs that Manny is God? T-that everything he does is for a reason? That he makes no mistakes? Manny _isn't God_. He's a joke. Making me invisible for three hundred years, never talking to me or telling me to hold onto my faith, never answering my cries for help, always staring back at me with his damn white face while I suffered under his actions?" Jack jabbed his staff at the circular hole in the ceiling where Manny was visible. "Then you let me fall in love with Jamie, _knowing_ that we can't be together? You don't freaking tell me not to until I've already fallen in deep? And if that's not enough to piss the shit out of me, you don't even tell me to my _face_. You tell _them_." Jack swung his staff to point at the other Guardians. "I'm sick of your bullshit. I'm done with you. _Fucking joke!_"

"Jack, calm down!" Tooth flew towards him, but Bunny grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Was it you?" Jack could feel Daisy shivering in his pocket, Sam tugging on his earlobe with a trembling hand. "Were you the first one who dealt with Manny's shit?"

"Jack…" Tooth pressed a hand to her chest. "You know- No. It wasn't me."

Jack turned his icy gaze to Bunny. The pooka shook his head. "Not me, mate."

"Then who-"

"_Me_, Jack! It was _me_," North boomed, voice like thunder, "Now _calm down_. You are freezing the elves."

Jack leveled off his temperature with slow, even breaths. The ground was frosted over with sharp designs, none of them following a specific pattern. Jack deposited Sam and Daisy onto the small wooden stairs along the wall. The twins frowned at him and then hobbled away, patting the arms of the elves that watched Jack in fear. The stairs cleared quickly, now that Jack had noticed his audience.

He felt ashamed now that he thought of how close the elves were to their faith. He must have insulted them all with his trash talk of Manny.

"So you know what this feels like?" Jack tried to keep his voice quiet. The anger was raging in him, a blizzard too strong to be suppressed, so his voice ended up loud and sharp. The words felt like sharp knives scraping up his throat. This is what it feels like to lose control and faith and understanding, Jack thought.

"Not exactly, but I can try to imagine."

"No you can't. You can't imagine. You didn't go through what _I _go through. What do you know? Only how it feels to lose your love?"

"Don't even go there," Bunny warned, hopping to Jack until they were well within personal space. "You don't know _anything_ about our pasts."

"I know you were a fluffy little bunny before you were chosen."

"Nobody's laughing."

"Then if I don't know anything about your pasts, why don't you tell me?"

"Because some things are better left unknown."

"Then my life is better left unknown!" Jack shoved Bunny barely hard enough to move him back a foot. "Leave me and Jamie alone."

Exclamation marks flashed over Sandy's head.

"What? Will Manny smite me with his holy light if I go against his orders?"

"I – we have feeling that Manny is working to accommodate you and Jamie. He is planning something to let you have each other. How? We do not know. Have faith Jack," North pleaded.

"Have faith? How can I? You had a love and it didn't work out. Did Manny accommodate your relationship or did he shove it down the trash?"

North glared at Bunny. "You should have left that out."

"Hey, hey, no drama," Bunny said.

"Why didn't it work? Because you didn't listen to Manny?"

North dropped his jaw. "Exactly! How did you-"

"You don't have to lie. Manny didn't help you at all, did he?"

"No! He tried! He told me to-"

"To leave her alone?"

"Yes, but Jack, it was because I was putting her life in danger. Pitch saw, he noticed, and he took the chance he got," North said with pain in his voice and in his eyes. For the first time, Jack thought the old man was going to shed a tear.

"Pitch is gone. I don't have to worry about that."

"There might be another reason," Tooth said. "And there probably is. It could be that he's testing how deeply you love Jamie."

"Cupid can tell him that. Isn't Manny all knowing?" Could he not tell how much Jack wanted Jamie? That if it weren't for the mortality problem and Jack's confusion about love, Jamie would've been in Jack's arms earlier? "Or does he want me to suffer for it?"

Jack didn't want any more pain. He didn't want the confusion that would plague him until Manny revealed his intentions.

Jack just wanted the problems to disappear, and Jamie to appear in his arms.

#

Pippa dropped another pair of pants into the cart, followed by another, and another.

"What is this?" Jamie pulled two of the new additions out. "They're the same thing!"

"Different sizes. You have to make sure it fits perfectly. One night to perfection – one night to doom." Pippa wiggled her eyebrows and took the pants from Jamie, tossing them onto the pile of accumulating shirts and pants.

A salesgirl, folding a polo shirt at its display, watched the two friends with a stiff face.

"I don't think all these clothes are necessary. I'm sure some of these are bound to fit. Most of them actually…"

"Oh! That looks flexible!" Pippa rushed to another rack. She whipped out a pair of jeans that looked too shapely for a male's body. Jamie saw the women's clothes beyond that rack and sighed. Cross-dressing? Not his thing. "I'm sure you can fit in a size one or zero."

"I'm not wearing girl clothes," Jamie whispered. The saleswoman's stone face was now molded in confusion. "People are staring. Can we get out of here?"

"Who?" Pippa leaned back and forth with obvious movements. "Oh, that lady? She's been watching us since I picked out the first shirt." She held the jeans out against Jamie's waist. He batted it away with a scowl. "Hey, first impressions are important. Caleb won't notice if you're wearing girl pants – unless he takes them off. Then you better be wearing a sexy pair of underpants or he'll be laughing nonstop."

"_Shut up!_" Jamie was sure he saleswoman heard. "You don't need to be so loud."

"I'm sorry! I'm just so excited that you're going on a date! With _Caleb_! You and _Caleb_! Your first date is with one of the most popular guys in school who also is _extremely_ attractive _and_ sweet. He's the perfect boy you see in movies who everyone deems unrealistic and fake! Only he's _real_."

"You sound like you're in love with him."

Jamie smirked when Pippa stuttered and blushed. "Anyone attracted to boys would find him appealing," she defended softly. "And I won't get between you and him. Friends don't steal other friend's potential lovers."

"Lovers…" Jamie snorted and shifted through a random rack of jeggings to hide his blushing face.

"Don't you want to be his lover? Be all lovey-dovey with each other and hold hands and kiss and make out." Pippa batted her eyelashes. "And you can be the gay homecoming couple for next year."

"What are you doing with your eyes?"

"It's called eye flirtation. You should try that with Caleb – as a joke! First dates are tense, and you've got to loosen up the tension enough so you can shimmy your way to the dance floor. Jokes are the best way to loosen tension. Good jokes. Bad jokes make the tension tighter."

Jamie snatched at a price tag blindly, wondering if it was possible that his eyelids were blushing too. It felt like his entire face was burning.

"Jamie? Oh my gosh. You're turning really red."

"You're slipping innuendoes into every sentence!"

Pippa laughed. "You're really sensitive."

"I'm done with you." Jamie left the girls' side for the the boys' side, aware of the saleswoman now laughing at him. "And you," he said, pointing at the saleswoman.

#

It took two hours to find the perfect outfit: one that was visually appealing to Pippa, and not too bold for Jamie. His mom was going to flip when she found out the price. When she finds out that Pippa paid, Jamie didn't want to think of the "be selfless" lecture in store for him.

He shouldered his bedroom door open. "Oh! Hey Jack."

"You went shopping?" Jack sounded troubled, not interested in Jamie's shopping. He was lounging on Jamie's bed, fingering the same groves of his staff repeatedly.

"I'm going to that party with Caleb." Jamie hung the new clothes in his closet. He tossed the shoe box on a pile of dirty clothes.

"You mean that date."

"I won't let it get out of hand. I'll tell him I'm dating you and he'll understand."

Jack tossed his staff against Jamie's desk. He sat, stretching his legs and arms out.

"Uh, how'd the…meeting go? With the Guardians?"

"Don't want to talk about it." Jack patted the bed. "Come sit with me."

"They said 'no', didn't they?"

"Manny's up to something."

"I know. I heard Bunny." Jamie kicked off his shoes. He pressed Jack's back until he was lying down again. Jamie curled against him, waiting for the coolness of Jack's body to level out. "If I was immortal, do you think he'd let us be?"

"Most likely." Jack wrapped his arms around Jamie and pulled him in close, and then rolled on top. "If you had the chance to be immortal, would you?" He nuzzled Jamie's nose with his own.

"I don't know," Jamie breathed against Jack's lips. They kissed softly. "I don't think I would, but maybe, if that meant…"

Jack kissed him again. He drew Jamie's lip into his mouth, nipping at the flesh. Jamie trembled, and as if released from restraints, threw his arms around Jack's neck.

Jack slid his lips to the corner of Jamie's mouth, breathing in the warmth of his body and the scent of the outdoors. "You smell like autumn."

"What's that smell like?"

"You can't describe it; only smell it and know it."

"Can you feel it?" Jamie's straying hand took a path down Jack's chest.

"Feel what?"

"No words to describe, right?"

"Huh? What are we talking about?" Jack exhaled, body quivering. "Wow."

"Like it?"

"Autumn's nice."

"What are you talking about?" Jamie chuckled.

"Huh?" Jack couldn't catch his short-lived thoughts. "Keep moving."

Few words were exchanged that night.

* * *

**A/N: **Beta'd by **Shattered Equilibrium**.

S.E. is seriously helping me out with this. Not just grammar, spelling, and sentence structures, but plot as well. I really owe it to her. :)

So Jamie gave Jack a hand job and I coudn't describe it because the rating is T and I feel awkard writing sex scenes. Especially since someone I know irl are reading this. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

This story is nearing an end. Two more chapters. Then a sequel which can also be read as a stand alone. ^^

Reviews please. :) Please. Please.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

An hour before Caleb was due to pick Jamie up, Pippa dropped by with a handbag packed with hair supplies and cologne. She hadn't called beforehand, so when she knocked on the door, Jamie spazzed out thinking Caleb had come early. He had yanked the door open, an apology for being unprepared on his lips, when Pippa smiled angelically and held the bag out to him.

Now he was sitting on a folding chair in the bathroom while Pippa ironed his hair out. "You're going to be breath-taking," Pippa said, almost nicking Jamie's ear with the hot iron. Jamie's hair was already straight, but Pippa had argued that it would make it silky to the touch and less frizzy. Not that Jamie had bad hair, she had said.

"You should have put your shirt on first," Pippa said, putting the flattening iron down on the sink. She sprayed his hair with a sharp smelling hairspray. "You're going to ruin your hair when you put it on."

"I don't really care. I don't think Caleb cares either."

"He doesn't have hair."

"I mean, I don't think he'll care much about my hair." Jamie could taste some of the hairspray. It was foul and Jamie wanted to brush Pippa aside to spit in the sink. He was going to stand up, but Pippa pushed on his shoulders until his butt was seated. She started flattening a thin section of Jamie's hair, and Jamie knocked her hand away. "It's already straight. You're going to fry my hair."

"I have to run it through a few more times." Pippa tried to flatten another section.

"No more." Jamie batted her hand away and went to his room. "Why don't you do something helpful and teach me how to dance?"

"That's an opportunity to get to know Caleb better. The classic dance-teacher-move. He'll say, 'follow my steps' and you'll say 'okay!' and then you'll dance. It's a classic."

Jamie didn't think it'd happen, though he'd love for it. A guilty pool settled in his stomach. He had promised Jack not to let anything get out of hand. It wouldn't be romantic. It was just a fun time with Caleb, just a dance, a pseudo date, which would end with Jamie telling Caleb that he was involved with Jack. There. Simple. But Jamie's stomach was doing flips at the thought of Caleb's hands around his neck, his body pressed to his as they swayed to soft music…

"Nervous?" Pippa touched Jamie's arm, startling him out of his conflicting thoughts.

"Hah! What do you _think_?"

"I think he'll kiss you. After one of the dances, he'll French dip you and lay a good one on you."

Jamie 's smile was genuine, and then forced. He didn't know what to do with himself. Or with Caleb. Or Jack.

#

Someone knocked on the door.

"_Oh my gosh!_" Pippa shook Jamie by the shoulders. "He's here!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down," Jamie said, smoothing down his tux.

"Are you ready, lover boy?" Pippa double checked his shoelaces and straightened out his tux's lapels.

"Yeah, yeah."

Pippa unlocked the front door, twisted the knob, winked at Jamie, and then opened the door. "Hi!" She chirped.

Caleb obviously was expecting to see Jamie first: he had a bouquet of roses held out. He jerked his hand back, eyebrows furrowed in an adorable way that rivaled Jack's.

"She's leaving too," Jamie said, pushing Pippa out of the way. He gave Caleb a quick once over, liking the contrast between the darkness of Caleb's skin and the white lapels of his tux. "Are those for me?"

"U-uh, yeah. Here." Caleb handed the bouquet over, their warm hands touching.

"I'll put those away, grab my things, and I'll get outta here! And you two can go on your date…" Pippa took the roses from Jamie and rushed down the hall.

Jamie looked at the hand that once held the bouquet. He squeezed his fingers into a fist. "Wow. I don't think I've ever seen her that animated before. She hates working out."

Caleb chuckled and leaned against the open doorway. He lost his balance, or miscalculated the angle he fell against it, and ended up stumbling to the side. Jamie quickly grabbed his wrist and tugged him upright.

"Awkward," Caleb mumbled and straightened his clothes. "I'm such a klutz."

"It's adorable."

They shared a moment, Jamie's hand starting to sweat on Caleb's wrist. He blushed and withdrew his hand to subtly wipe it on the back of his pants.

"Okay!" Pippa popped out from the hall where she had been hiding. She had been watching them, Jamie knew. "Let me know how it goes!"

Jamie and Caleb stepped aside to let her leave. Together they watched her walk down the sidewalk to her car. When she drove away she passed a shiny red sports car. Jamie didn't recognize it from any neighbors. "Is that your car?" Jamie asked. He didn't see anyone else in it.

"Yeah. My dad sold some stock and he got a big bonus at work so he bought me this. It's actually really old. It just looks new because of the wax and paint job." Caleb cleared his throat. "Um, so you want to ride?"

"How else are we supposed to get there?" Jamie grabbed his keys off the hallway table. "I'll lock up and we can hit it."

#

The drive wasn't as awkward as it could have been. There was a lot of potential for their first (and last) date to be uncomfortable, but Caleb certainly tried to keep the awkwardness to a minimum. He played a CD of burned songs, none of which were lovey-dovey ones. They all were alternative songs, the ones that Jamie grew into during his early years of middle school.

"Do you remember when this song first came out? They played it at a school dance and it was so freaky when the chaperones started singing," Caleb said.

They laughed about the memories the songs stirred, and save for one song that was about sex and drugs, Jamie loved them all.

Jamie asked if Caleb was a big a fan of alt as Jamie was. The answer was positive, but Caleb said he particularly burned the CD for the ride to the dance. That was when the awkwardness surfaced and they spent a minute fidgeting. Caleb drummed his fingers to the beat of the current song and Jamie watched the lights streak by through the windows.

Then Caleb said, "I just want this night to be perfect," and Jamie gushed, "You're doing a great job!"

And they pulled up to the parking lot.

Jamie opened his door, but Caleb reached over the divider and grabbed his arm. "Wait, Jamie, I'm sorry. Can we start this night over?"

Jamie smiled at him. "You're sorry for what?"

#

The dance floor was large but crowded. A small band of classical musicians played while couples danced at the center of the floor. Surrounding the center in an oval were dining tables cloaked in white sheets. There were very little children, a few teenagers, many adults, and several elders.

Caleb took Jamie's hand and led him to his family's table. It was one of the long, oval tables. His parents were seated at one end, Claude next to them. Two men who looked like his uncles and three women who looked like aunts were also seated at the table. There were two empty seats next to Claude.

"Hey!" Caleb's mom greeted, standing up from her seat. She wore an elegant midnight blue dress with frosty designs at the hem. Of course there would be reminders of Jack tonight. "You must be Jamie. Caleb's told us all about you."

"Oh. Really?" Jamie smirked.

"Mom!" Claude nudged her thigh. "Be cool. It's not every day Caleb asks someone out. This is a milestone! We should pop some champagne!"

"In your dreams," his dad laughed.

Caleb pulled back Jamie's chair, face burning when his family exchanged smirks with each other. Jamie sat down, heart gone pounding away at miles a minute.

"Aw! How gentlemanly! He's blushing too! Jeez! Man up!"

"A man can blush," one of their aunts said.

"Actually, do you want to dance?" Caleb asked. "My family's kind of awkward…"

"Come on, Caleb. Loosen your collar. We're just joking. Like Claude said, it's not every day you ask someone out." Their mom sat down, smiling. She raised a half-full wineglass. "To Caleb and his date."

The adults copied, Claude splashing water into his wine glass and raising it high. Several other tables looked over. "To his future boyfriend!" Claude cheered.

Caleb wordlessly pulled Jamie out of his chair. "I'm so sorry." He led Jamie deep into the dance floor so people on the outside couldn't see them through the many pairs of dancers. He looped an arm around Jamie's back and took his hand in another. "They're like Claude. I'm the odd one out of them all."

"It's okay. Don't stress about it. I think your family's really cool actually."

They started moving to the song, Jamie stepping on Caleb's feet.

"I don't actually know how to dance," Jamie said, stomach taking a quick dip when Caleb grinned. "Can you show me?"

"I'll drive. You follow."

Jamie did his best to follow Caleb's feet. After a few stumbles and missteps, Jamie picked up the pattern and the flow from one step to another.

#

The windows were frosting over as Jack watched the dance. He hung from the roof with the perfect angle to see over the heads of the other dancers. He followed Jamie and Caleb in their dance pattern, grinding his teeth and wishing for permission to blow the windows open and shove his staff down Caleb's throat. Frosting the floor would've been good as well. Then Jamie or Caleb – either would be great – would slip and fall on his ass. Painfully.

Jamie had _said_ he wouldn't get involved with Caleb in a romantic sense. He _said_ that he would tell Caleb he was with Jack. Taken. Unavailable. Untouchable. Guardian property. _Whatever_. It didn't look like he had told Caleb that at all. They were dancing like shy teenagers who had crushes on each other, which was true, but Jamie had Jack. He didn't need to pine after other guys.

Watching them dance sent jealousy and anger spiraling down his spine and to his fingers where they clenched against his staff. He touched the window, sending a burst of frost over the surface. Jamie didn't notice; he was too lost in Caleb's eyes. They were staring at each other like they had found the missing puzzle pieces to their souls, like they complete each other, loved each other, like Cupid had shot them with arrows.

"Fuck off." Jack ground out. Caleb said something and Jamie giggled. Giggled because he did that chin tuck Jack was familiar with. The song changed and the dancers switched positions to the slow dancing type. The type that involved pressing bodies against each other. The type that didn't belong in parties like this. Then Jack saw Claude shaking the hand of one of the violinists. "Not helping!" Jack bashed his fist against the window. "Claude, you douche bag!"

Jamie's head was pressed against Claude's shoulder, eyes half-lidded but bright. Just like when he had touched Jack the other night, nipping his nose and his collar bone and then kissing his fingers and teasing, lots of teasing. And Jack losing his thoughts and his mind and everything he thought he had in control.

"Getting off on that? Huh? Fucking loser." Jack had given a part of himself to Jamie last night. Hadn't that meant anything to Jamie? If it did, he wouldn't be looking all doped out on Caleb. He wouldn't be pressing their bodies closer and he wouldn't be allowing Caleb to slide his hands lower and lower-

Jack dropped from the roof, kicking off the window for a speed boost. "Manny's right. I should just leave," he thought.

#

Jamie stepped out of Caleb's arms. "Caleb, I don't think we should be – I… There's something I have to tell you. I'm… I'm sorry. I should've told you sooner. I'm... with Jack."

"Jack? Jack Frost?" Caleb stepped back, hurt shining through the brown of his eyes.

Jamie hated to pull the plug on Caleb, but it had to happen eventually, and Jamie was drawing it out too far. "I'm sorry! I really like you, but Jack and I… I've always liked him and last night we decided to be together and I promised to tell you that we were together but I didn't know how and I'm so, so sorry."

"It was always Jack, wasn't it? At my cousin's party… I thought he looked jealous. I didn't think that it was because he liked you but…now I get it."

"I'm sorry, Caleb. I really am."

"I'm sorry too. For going too far." Caleb's smile was so forced, it hurt Jamie to watch his friend hold it while he talked. "And I'm sorry for you. Jack's immortal. You're not. It's going to be hard to work it out."

"We're going to make it work." Jamie stepped forward to avoid getting in the way of a dancing pair. The music had switched to ballroom songs. "And I want to be friends with you. But if you're mad and don't want to, I understand."

"I'm not mad. I'm hurt, but I get it. I'll always be here. If it doesn't work."

"Thanks." Jamie hugged Caleb. "Thank you so much."

#

The drive to Jamie's home was quiet. Caleb played the radio instead of the CD. When they got there, Jamie leaned over the divider and pecked Caleb's cheek. He thanked him for the night, and five minutes later he was standing in the kitchen, eyes burning and throat swelling so much that he couldn't breathe without hiccupping.

He dressed down into sweats and curled on his bed, hugging a pillow tightly. It would get better when Jack came. He'd make everything okay and Jamie could enjoy his winter break again.

When Jamie woke the next morning and Jack still hadn't come, he started to panic. He waited the rest of the day, chatting with Monty over the phone about upcoming movies, walking around the neighborhood, filling in details of the dance for Pippa.

Night came. Jack didn't.

#

The third day Jack didn't come, Jamie's mom came home. Jamie distracted himself with happy thoughts of the large profit that came from her art exhibit.

The fourth day Jack didn't come, Jamie called Caleb in tears.

The fifth day Jack didn't come, Jamie's mom told him to never give up. She didn't know about Jack, but her words struck Jamie's heart. He would never give up, but Jack would.

School started and Jamie busied himself with homework, studying as often as he could so he could forget Jack sooner. His grades improved, but he didn't forget Jack completely.

He knew it was impossible to utterly forget Jack, but there was room for memories to put between the present and Jack.

Jamie eventually invited Caleb over. They spent a few days chilling as friends, studying, playing video games, watching TV – and then came the night Jamie kissed Caleb. His mom was on a date with another single artist – one who was very successful. Jamie hoped she could remarry so their family would be whole again. (Plus extra cash in the family bank account would be a bonus, especially seeing as college was nearing.)

The two entered a relationship, and when word spread around campus, Jamie was the new popular kid. He didn't abandon Monty and Pippa; he made sure to spend more time with them than his new friends. He treaded carefully around his new friends, positive that they'd turn on him the instant they disagreed on something.

Life got better.

Jamie learned to put Jack aside, and with time, he had everything he wanted.

(Almost everything.)

#

Jamie didn't know that Jack actually had visited him. The winter spirit had tried to get into his room on the third day after the party, the day Jamie's mom returned from her art exhibit. She had gone through Jamie's room, making his bed and tidying his closet. She had locked his window, assuming that Jamie had forgotten to do so.

Jamie didn't know she locked it.

Jack didn't know she locked it.

So when Jack couldn't get the window open and realized it was locked, he assumed Jamie had kicked him out of his life for good.

Jack looked up at the sky. He couldn't see Manny through the clouds, but he knew the general area. Years of looking at the moon had given him the gift of tracking its movements in the sky.

He stared at it, waiting for a connection. A connection of minds or feelings or understanding – or _anything_. He wanted something to confirm that this was how it was supposed to go. He wanted a sign.

"I hope you're right," he said, finally using the miniscule amount of faith he had left.

#

Seemingly a whole world away, Jamie looked up at the sky. He stared at the moon. The moon stared back.

Jamie shook his head.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

**A/N**: This is the last chapter for this story.

I lied about another chapter. I just couldn't get this into two chapters so I put it into one. It's not that long…

I'm supposed to be studying right now, but eh. I'd rather write.

SEQUEL COMING UP! It will work as a stand alone, and it may be confusing since it takes a large jump from the end of this story. There will be references to this story so you can all feel good about sticking through this fic. Some of you will understand what happened, and you'll be pissed at me.

The meaning behind "Forgotten Future" is that Jack has forgotten about the potential for his future. He was stuck in the past - in a way, and didn't know that it was possible to move forward... I hope that makes sense. :)

Keep an eye on my profile. The first chapter should come out next weekend or later. I have freaking finals to get updated on.

AND THANKS TO **SHATTERED EQUILIBRIUM** for beta'ing!


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